"\\T  f  &  T\  Y"\         C*  *T*  T\   ft  ^T*  T^  Tl  >T  Y^  ^  7  T^  Y% 

JwARD  STRATEMEYER 


inn.  OF 


After  him  tumbled  a  wild  cat.  —  Page  160. 


Colonial  Series 


MARCHING  ON  NIAGARA 


OB 


THE  SOLDIER  BOYS  OF  THE  OLD  FRONTIER 


BY 

EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 

Author  of  "  American  Boys'  Life  of  William  McKinley,"  "  Lo»t  on 

the  Orinoco,"  "  On  to  Pekin,"  "  Between  Boer  and  Briton," 

"  Old  Glory  Series,"  "  Ship  and  Shore  Series," 

"  Bound  to  Succeed  Series,"  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY  A.  B.   SHUTE 


BOSTON : 
LOTHROP,   LEE   &   SHEPARD   CO. 


COPYRIGHT,  1902,  BY  LEE  AND  SHEPARD 
Published  August,  igoa 


All  rights  reserved 


MARCHING    ON  NIAGARA 


rtorwoob  ptess 

J.  S.  GUSHING  &  Co.— BERWICK  &  SMITH 
Norwood,  Mass.  U.  S.  A. 


SttcK 
Annex 

ft 


PREFACE 

"MARCHING  ON  NIAGARA  "  is  a  complete  story  in 
itself,  but  forms  the  second  of  several  volumes  to  be 
known  by  the  general  title  of  "  Colonial  Series." 

In  the  first  volume  of  this  series,  entitled  "  WITH 
WASHINGTON  IN  THE  WEST/'  we  followed  the  for- 
tunes of  David  Morris,  the  son  of  a  hardy  pioneer, 
who  first  settled  at  Will's  Creek  (now  the  town  of 
Cumberland,  Virginia),  and  later  on  established  a 
trading  post  on  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Ohio 
River.  This  was  just  previous  to  the  breaking  out 
of  war  between  France  and  England,  and  when  the 
French  and  English  settlers  in  America,  especially 
in  those  localities  where  trading  with  the  Indians 
was  profitable,  were  bitter  foes.  David  becomes 
well  acquainted  with  Washington  while  the  latter  is 
a  surveyor,  and  when  Braddock  arrives  in  America 
and  marches  against  Fort  Duquesne  the  young 
pioneer  shoulders  a  musket  and  joins  the  Virginia 
Rangers  under  Major  Washington,  to  march  forth 

iii 

2132795 


IV  PREFACE 

and  take  part  in  Braddock's  bitter  defeat  and  Wash- 
ington's masterly  effort  to  save  the  remnant  of  the 
army  from  total  annihilation. 

The  defeat  of  the  British  forces  left  this  section 
of  the  English  colonies  at  the  mercy  of  both  the 
French  and  their  savage  Indian  allies,  and  for  two 
years,  despite  all  that  Washington  and  other  colonial 
leaders  could  do,  every  isolated  cabin  and  every 
small  settlement  west  of  Winchester  was  in  constant 
danger,  and  numerous  raids  were  made,  savage  and 
brutal  in  the  extreme,  and  these  were  kept  up  until 
the  arrival  of  General  Forbes,  who,  aided  by  Wash- 
ington and  others,  finally  compelled  the  French  to 
abandon  Fort  Duquesne,  and  thus  restored  peace 
and  order  to  a  frontier  covering  a  distance  of  sev- 
eral hundred  miles. 

Following  General  Forbes's  success  at  Fort  Du- 
quesne (now  the  enterprising  city  of  Pittsburg), 
came  English  successes  in  other  quarters,  not  the 
least  of  which  was  the  capture  of  Fort  Niagara, 
standing  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Niagara  River, 
where  that  stream  flows  into  Lake  Ontario.  This 
fort  was  of  vast  importance  to  the  French,  for  it 
guarded  the  way  through  the  lakes  and  down  the 
mighty  Mississippi  to  their  Louisiana  territory.  In 
the  expedition  against  Fort  Niagara  both  David 
and  Henry  Morris  take  an  activo  part,  and  as  brave 


PREFACE  V 

young  soldiers  endeavor  to  do  their  duty  fully  and 
fearlessly. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  historical  portions  of 
this  work  the  author  has  endeavored  to  be  as  accu- 
rate as  possible.  This  has  been  no  easy  task,  for 
upon  many  points  American,  English,  and  French 
historians  have  differed  greatly  in  their  statements. 
However,  it  is  hoped  that  the  tale  is  at  least  as 
accurate  as  the  average  history,  giving  as  it  does 
statements  from  all  sides. 

Again  thanking  the  many  readers  who  have  taken 
such  an  interest  in  my  previous  works,  I  place  this 
volume  in  their  hands,  trusting  they  will  find  it  not 
only  entertaining  but  likewise  full  of  instruction  and 
inspiration. 

EDWARD  STRATEMEYER. 

Independence  Day,  1902. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAC1 

I.  IN  THE  FOREST    .      .      .      .      ,      .      k  i 

II.  DEER  AND  INDIANS 10 

III.  DISCOVERY  AND  PURSUIT 20 

IV.  BURNING  OF  THE  CABIN 29 

V.  UPRISING  OF  THE  INDIANS  .....  38 

VI.  THE  DISAPPEARANCE  OF  HENRY  ....      48 

VII.  A  DOUBLE  WARNING 57 

VIII.  DEPARTURE  FROM  HOME 67 

IX.  GATHERING  AT  FORT  LAWRENCE      ...      77 

X.  How  HENRY  FARED 86 

XI.  SAM  BARRINGFORD'S  RUSE  .       .  .       .95 

XII.  DARK  YEAR  OF  THE  WAR    .       .       .       .       .    104 

XIII.  FIGHTING  OFF  THE  INDIANS      .       .       .       .114 

XIV.  RETREAT  OF  THE  PIONEERS  .....    124 
XV.  DISAPPEARANCE  OF  LITTLE  NELL  ....    133 

XVI.  BACK  TO  WINCHESTER  ......    143 

XVII.  A  NEW  CAMPAIGN 151 

XVIII.  WILDCAT  AND  WATER 161 

XIX.  DEFEAT  OF  THE  ENGLISH 170 

XX.  AT  FORT  PITT— RETURN  HOME  .       .       .       .179 
vii 


Vlll  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXI.  ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  ARMY     .       .       .       .189 
XXII.  THE  FIGHT  WITH  THE  BUCK     ....    198 

XXIII.  UP  THE  MOHAWK  VALLEY 208 

XXIV.  HENRY  is  ATTACKED 218 

XXV.  A  STORM  ON  LAKE  ONTARIO       ....    227 

XXVI.  THE  ATTACK  AT  OSWEGO    ....     .       .    239 

XXVII.  NEWS  OF  IMPORTANCE  ......    248 

XXVIII.  SOMETHING  ABOUT  FORT  NIAGARA    .       .       .258 

XXIX.  THE  BATTLE  NEAR  THE  FALLS    .       .  .    267 

XXX.  INTO  THE  NIAGARA  RAPIDS          .       .       .       .    276 

XXXI.  FALL  OF  FORT  NIAGARA  ....       .       ,       .284 

XXXII.  LITTLE  NELL— CONCLUSION 295 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

After  him  tumbled  a  wildcat  (Page  160) Frontispiece 

PAGE 

They  could  see  the  cabin,  which  still  blazed 38 

The  warrior  with  the  torch  held  the  light  aloft 88 

"  White  Buffalo,  my  brother,  has  done  well  to  bring  this 

message  so  quickly." 109 

He  took  a  quick  but  careful  aim  at  the  leader 168 

He  leaped  forward  once  again,  straight  for  Dave 199 

"  Bail  her  out,"  roared  the  lieutenant 237 

He  swung  his  clubbed  musket  at  the  French  soldier's  head.  276 


\ 


CHAPTER  I 

IN   THE   FOREST 

"  Do  you  think  we'll  bag  a  deer  to-day,  Henry  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  better  about  that  when  we  are  on 
our  way  home,  Dave.  I  certainly  saw  the  hoof- 
prints  down  by  the  salt  lick  this  morning.  That 
proves  they  can't  be  far  off.  My  idea  is  that  at 
least  three  deer  are  just  beyond  the  lower  creek, 
although  I  may  be  mistaken." 

"  I'd  like  to  get  a  shot  at  'em.  I  haven't  brought 
down  a  deer  since  we  left  the  army." 

"  Well,  I  reckon  we  had  shooting  enough  in  the 
army  to  last  us  for  a  while,"  returned  Henry  Mor- 
ris, grimly.  "  I  know  I  got  all  I  wanted,  and  you 
got  a  good  deal  more." 

"  But  it  wasn't  the  right  kind  of  shooting,  Henry. 
I  always  hated  to  think  of  firing  on  another  human 
being,  didn't  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  mind  shooting  at  the  Indians — 
some  of  'em  don't  seem  to  be  more  than  half  hum?  . 
anyway.  But  I  must  say  it  was  different  when  it 
came  to  bringing  down  a  Frenchman  with  his  spick 


2  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

and  span  uniform.  But  the  Frenchmen  hadn't  any 
right  to  molest  us  and  drive  your  father  out  of  his 
trading  post." 

"  I'm  afraid  General  Braddock's  defeat  will  cause 
us  lots  of  trouble  in  the  future.  Mr.  Risley  was 
telling  me  that  he  had  heard  the  Indians  over  at 
Plum  Valley  were  as  impudent  as  they  could  be.  He 
said  half  a  dozen  of  'em  made  a  settler  named  Hoch- 
stein  give  'em  all  they  wanted  to  eat  and  drink,  and 
when  the  German  found  fault  they  flourished  their 
tomahawks  and  told  him  all  the  settlers  but  the 
French  were  squaws  and  that  he  had  better  shut  up 
or  they'd  scalp  him  and  burn  down  his  cabin." 

"  Yes,  Sam  Barringford  was  telling  something 
about  that,  too,  and  he  said  he  wouldn't  be  surprised 
to  hear  of  an  Indian  uprising  at  any  time.  You 
see,  the  French  are  backing  the  redskins  up  in  every- 
thing and  that  makes  them  bold.  If  I  had  my  way, 
I'd  get  Colonel  Washington  to  raise  an  army  of 
three  or  four  thousand  men — the  best  frontiersmen 
to  be  found — and  I'd  chase  every  impudent  French- 
man out  of  the  country.  We  won't  have  peace  till 
that  is  done,  mark  my  words  on  it,"  concluded  Henry 
Morris,  emphatically. 

David  and  Henry  Morris  were  cousins,  living 
with  their  folks  on  a  clearing  not  far  from  what  was 
then  known  as  Will's  Creek,  now  the  town  of  Cum- 


IN    THE    FOREST  3 

berland,  Virginia.  The  two  families  consisted  of 
Dave  and  his  father,  Mr.  James  Morris,  who  was  a 
widower,  and  Mr.  Joseph  Morris,  his  wife  Lucy, 
and  three  children,  Rodney,  the  oldest,  who  was 
something  of  a  cripple,  Henry,  who  has  just  been 
introduced,  and  little  Nell,  the  sunshine  of  the  whole 
home. 

In  a  former  volume  of  this  series,  entitled  "  With 
Washington  in  the  West,"  I  related  the  particu- 
lars of  how  the  two  Morris  families  settled  at  Will's 
Creek,  and  how  James  Morris,  after  the  loss  of  his 
wife,  wandered  westward,  and  established  a  trad- 
ing-post on  the  Kinotah,  one  of  the  numerous 
branches  of  the  Ohio  River.  In  the  meantime  Dave, 
his  son,  fell  in  with  George  Washington,  when  the 
future  President  was  a  surveyor,  and  the  youth 
helped  to  survey  many  tracts  of  land  in  the  beautiful 
Shenandoah  valley. 

At  this  time  the  colonies  of  England  and  of 
France  in  America  were  having  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  between  themselves  and  with  the  Indians. 
Briefly  stated,  both  England  and  France  claimed  all 
the  territory  drained  by  the  Ohio  and  other  near-by 
rivers,  and  the  French  sought  in  every  possible  way 
to  drive  out  English  traders  who  pushed  westward. 

The  driving  out  of  the  English  traders  soon 
brought  trouble  to  James  Morris,  and  after  being 


4  MARCHING  ON    NIAGARA 

attacked  by  a  band  of  Indians  he  was  served  with  a 
notice  from  the  French  to  quit  his  trading-post  in 
three  months'  time  or  less.  Unwilling  to  give  up  a 
profitable  business,  and  half  suspecting  that  the  no- 
tice was  the  concoction  of  a  rascally  French  trader 
named  Jean  Bevoir,  and  not  an  official  document, 
Mr.  Morris  sent  Dave  back  to  Winchester,  that  they 
might  get  the  advice  of  Colonel  Washington  and 
other  officials  as  to  what  was  best  to  do. 

When  Dave  arrived  home  he  found  that  there  was 
practically  a  state  of  war  between  the  French  and 
English.  Washington  was  preparing  to  march 
against  the  enemy,  and  to  get  back  to  the  trading 
post  unaided  was  for  the  youth  out  of  the  question. 
Such  being  the  case,  Dave  joined  the  Virginia 
Rangers  under  Washington,  and  with  him  went  his 
cousin  Henry,  and  both  fought  bravely  at  the  de- 
fense of  Fort  Necessity,  where  Henry  was  badly 
wounded. 

The  defeat  of  the  English  at  Fort  Necessity  was 
followed  by  bitter  news  for  the  Morrises.  Sam 
Barringford,  a  well-known  old  trapper  of  that  local- 
ity, and  a  great  friend  to  the  boys,  came  in  one  day 
badly  used  up  and  with  the  information  that  the 
trading-post  had  fallen  under  the  combined  attack 
of  some  French  led  by  Jean  Bevoir  and  some  In- 
dians led  by  a  rascal  named  Fox  Head,  who  was 


IN   THE   FOREST  5 

Bevoir's  tool.  James  Morris  had  been  taken  pris- 
oner and  what  had  become  of  the  trader  Barring- 
ford  could  not  tell. 

Poor  Dave,  cut  to  the  heart,  was  for  looking  for 
his  father  at  once,  and  his  relatives  and  Sam  Bar- 
ringford  were  equally  eager.  But  the  trading-post 
was  miles  away — through  the  dense  forest  and  over 
the  wild  mountains — and  the  territory  was  now  in 
the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Under  such  circumstances 
all  had  to  wait  throughout  the  severe  winter  and 
following  spring,  a  time  that  to  the  boy  seemed  an 
age. 

General  Braddock  had  been  sent  over  from  Eng- 
land to  take  charge  of  affairs  against  the  French, 
and  soon  an  expedition  was  organized  having  for 
its  object  the  reduction  of  Fort  Duquesne,  which 
was  built  where  the  city  of  Pittsburg  now  stands. 
The  expedition  was  composed  of  English  grenadiers 
brought  over  by  Braddock  and  several  hundred  Vir- 
ginia Rangers,  under  Washington.  With  the  ran- 
gers were  Dave  and  Barringford.  Henry  wished  to 
go,  but  was  still  too  weak,  and  it  was  felt  that 
Joseph  Morris  could  not  be  spared  from  the  home- 
stead. 

Braddock's  bitter  defeat  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort 
Duquesne  came  as  a  great  shock  to  all  of  the  Eng- 
lish colonies,  and  it  was  only  by  Colonel  Washing- 


6  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

ton's  tact  and  gallantry,  and  the  bravery  of  the 
rangers  under  him,  that  the  retreating  army  was 
saved  from  total  annihilation  or  capture.  During  this 
battle  Dave  was  shot  and  captured,  but  his  enemies 
soon  after  abandoned  him  in  the  woods,  and  while 
wandering  around,  more  dead  than  alive  he  fell  in 
with  White  Buffalo,  a  friendly  Indian  chief,  and, 
later  on,  with  Barringford  and  with  his  father,  who 
had  been  a  prisoner  of  the  French  since  the  fall  of 
the  trading  post. 

The  home-coming  of  Dave  and  his  father  was 
viewed  with  great  satisfaction  by  Joseph  Morris  and 
his  family,  who  did  all  in  their  power  to  make  the 
two  sufferers  comfortable.  From  Mr.  Morris  it 
was  learned  that  the  pelts  stored  at  the  trading  post 
had  been  saved  through  the  kindness  of  another 
English  trader,  so  that  the  Frenchman,  Jean  Bevoir, 
and  his  Indian  tool,  Fox  Head,  had  not  gained  much 
by  the  raid. 

"  I  am  certain  that  the  raid  was  not  the  work  of 
the  French  authorities,"  said  James  Morris.  "  But 
now  the  war  is  on  they  will  of  course  stand  up  for 
everything  Jean  Bevoir  and  his  followers  have  done. 
Nevertheless,  I  hold  to  it  that  the  trading  post,  and 
the  land  staked  out  around  it,  is  mine,  and  some  day 
I  shall  lay  claim  to  it." 

"  Right  you  are,  brother,"  came  from  Joseph  Mor- 


IN  THE  FOREST  7 

ris.  "  And,  so  far  as  I  am  able,  I  will  stand  by  you 
in  the  claim.  But  I  am  fearful  that  matters  will  be 
much  worse  before  they  are  better." 

"  Oh,  there's  no  doubt  of  that.  This  victory  will 
make  the  French  think  they  can  walk  right  over  us." 

"  Yes,  and  it  will  do  more,"  put  in  Rodney,  who 
was  now  a  young  man  in  years.  "  Many  Indians 
have  been  wavering  between  taking  sides  with  us  or 
the  enemy.  Now  many  of  these  will  stake  fortunes 
with  the  victors, — that's  the  usual  way."  He 
stretched  himself  on  his  chair  and  gave  a  sigh.  "  I 
wish  I  was  a  little  stronger,  I'd  join  the  army  and 
fight  'em." 

"  We  haven't  any  army  to  speak  of  now,"  resumed 
James  Morris.  "  When  I  was  last  down  at  Win- 
chester Colonel  Washington  had  but  a  handful  of 
soldiers, — all  the  rest  having  gone  home  to  attend 
to  their  farms  and  plantations — and  over  at  Will's 
Creek  fort  it  was  no  better.  The  pay  offered  to  the 
soldiers  is  so  poor  nobody  cares  to  stay  in  the  ranks. 
Patriotism  seems  to  be  at  a  low  ebb." 

"  It's  not  such  a  lack  of  patriotism,"  said  Joseph 
Morris.  "  None  of  our  home  soldiers  liked  the 
ways  of  the  troops  from  England,  and  it  made  them 
mad  to  have  their  officers  pushed  down  and  Brad- 
dock's  underlings  pushed  up.  Even  Washington 
had  to  remonstrate,  although  they  tell  me  he  was 


8  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

willing  to  fight  no  matter  what  position  they  gave 
him.  And  matters  are  going  no  better  in  the  North. 
Either  England  and  our  colonies  must  wake  up,  or, 
ere  we  know  it,  all  will  be  lost  to  the  French  and 
their  Indian  allies." 

"  What  of  the  Indians  ?  "  put  in  Mrs.  Morris. 
"  Have  those  under  White  Buffalo  gone  over  to  the 
French?" 

"  White  Buffalo's  braves  have  not,"  answered  her 
husband.  "  But  the  tribe  is  badly  split  up,  and 
White  Buffalo  himself  is  nearly  crazy  over  the  mat- 
ter. He  says  some  of  the  old  chiefs  swear  by  the 
French  while  the  younger  warriors  all  cling  to 
Washington.  White  Buffalo  says  that  he  himself 
will  never  lift  a  tomahawk  against  the  English — and 
I  feel  certain  he  means  it." 

"  White  Buffalo  is  a  real  nice  Indian,"  came  from 
little  Nell,  who  sat  on  the  door-step  playing. 
"  Didn't  he  make  me  this  doll  ?  If  they  were  all  as 
good  as  he  is  I  wouldn't  be  afraid  a  bit."  And  she 
hugged  to  her  breast  the  crude  wooden  figure,  the 
"  heap  big  pappoose  "  with  which  White  Buffalo  had 
gained  her  childish  confidence. 

"  Nor  would  I  be  afraid,"  came  from  Mrs.  Mor- 
ris. "  But  all  Indians  are  not  as  kind  and  true  as 
White  Buffalo,  and  if  they  should  ever  go  on  the 


IN   THE   FOREST  9 

war-path  and  move  this  way — "     She  did  not  finish, 
but  shook  her  head  sadly. 

"  If  they  should  come  this  way  we  will  do  our  best 
to  fight  them  off,"  said  James  Morris.  "  But  let  us 
hope  it  will  never  come  to  that.  The  butchery  at 
the  trading  post  was  enough,  I  should  not  wish  to 
see  such  doings  around  our  homestead." 


CHAPTER  II 

DEER  AND  INDIANS 

DAVE  and  Henry  had  left  home  an  hour  before, 
hoping  to  bring  back  with  them  at  least  one  deer  if 
not  two.  Henry  was  a  great  hunter,  having  brought 
down  many  a  bird  on  the  wing  and  squirrel  on  the 
run,  and  he  knew  that  if  he  could  only  get  a  fair 
sight  at  a  deer  the  game  would  be  his.  As  old  read- 
ers know,  Dave  was  likewise  a  good  shot,  so  it  was 
likely  that  the  youths  would  bring  back  something  if 
any  game  showed  itself. 

It  was  a  cool,  clear  day,  with  just  a  touch  of  snow 
on  the  ground,  ideal  weather  for  hunting,  and  as  the 
boys  pushed  on  each  felt  in  excellent  spirits  despite 
the  talk  about  the  Indians.  So  far  as  they  knew 
there  was  no  Indian  settlement  within  miles  of  them 
nor  were  there  any  wandering  redskins  within  half 
a  day's  journey. 

"  Hullo,  there  go  half  a  dozen  rabbits !  "  cried 
Dave,  presently,  and  pointed  through  a  little  clearing 
to  their  left. 

"  Don't  shoot !  "  cried  his  cousin,  although  Dave 
10 


DEER   AND   INDIANS  II 

had  not  raised  his  flint-lock  musket.     "  If  you  do 
you'll  scare  the  deer  sure — if  they  are  within  hear- 

ing." 

"  I  wasn't  going  to  shoot,  Henry.  But  just  look 
at  the  beggars,  sitting  up  and  looking  at  us!  I 
reckon  they  know  they  are  safe." 

"  Since  the  fighting  with  the  French  there  hasn't 
been  much  hunting  through  here,  and  so  the  game 
is  quite  tame.  But  they  won't  sit  long — there  they 
go  now.  Come." 

The  pair  resumed  their  journey  through  the  forest, 
Henry  leading  the  way,  for  he  had  been  over  this 
trail  several  times  before.  Birds  were  numerous, 
and  they  could  have  filled  their  canvas  bag  with  ease, 
had  they  felt  inclined.  But  the  minds  of  both  were 
on  the  deer,  and  to  Henry  at  least  it  was  such  game 
or  nothing,  although  Dave  might  have  contented 
himself  with  something  smaller.  Yet  both  knew 
that  Mrs.  Morris  would  look  forward  with  pleasure 
to  getting  some  fresh  venison  for  her  table. 

At  length  the  pair  reached  the  lower  creek  which 
Henry  had  mentioned.  Here  the  stream  which 
flowed  past  the  Morris  homestead  split  into  several 
arms,  one  flowing  through  a  wide  clearing  and  the 
others  entering  the  forest  and  passing  around  a 
series  of  rough  rocks  and  a  cliff  nearly  fifty  feet  high. 
At  this  point  the  forest  had  never  yet  felt  the  weight 


12  MARCHING   ON   NIAGARA 

of  the  white  man's  axe  and  trees  had  stood  there 
until  brought  low  by  storm  or  the  weight  of  years. 

"  Go  slow  now,"  whispered  Henry,  as  he  caught 
his  cousin  by  the  arm.  "  If  they  hear  us  the  game 
is  up." 

*'  The  wind  is  with  us,"  returned  Dave.  Never- 
theless, he  slowed  up  as  desired,  and  then  the  pair 
moved  forward  with  extreme  caution,  each  having 
seen  to  it  that  his  firearm  was  ready  for  immediate 
use. 

Suddenly  Henry  came  to  a  halt  and  dropped  al- 
most flat  behind  a  rock,  and  Dave  instantly  followed. 
Coming  around  a  short  turn  they  had  caught  sight 
of  four  deer,  standing  hoof-deep  in  the  water  drink- 
ing. All  the  heads  were  down,  but  as  the  youths 
looked  in  the  direction  that  of  an  old  buck  came  up 
with  a  jerk  and  he  sniffed  the  air  suspiciously. 

"  Take  the  nearest,"  whispered  Henry,  softly  and 
quickly.  "Ready?" 

"  Yes,"  was  the  low  reply. 

There  was  a  second  of  silence  and  then  the  two 
guns  spoke  as  one  piece,  the  reports  echoing  and  re- 
echoing throughout  the  mighty  forest  and  along  the 
cliff.  The  deer  Henry  had  aimed  at  fell  down  in 
the  water,  plunging  wildly  in  its  dying  agonies,  while 
that  struck  by  Dave  hobbled  painfully  up  the  bank. 


DEER   AND   INDIANS  1 3 

The  others,  including  the  old  buck,  turned  and  sped 
off  with  the  swiftness  of  the  wind. 

"  Huzza. !  we  have  'em !  "  shouted  Henry.  "  Come 
on !  "  and  he  leaped  to  his  feet  with  Dave  beside  him. 
Not  far  off  a  dead  tree  lay  across  the  stream  and 
they  quickly  climbed  this,  so  as  not  to  get  their  feet 
wet.  When  they  gained  the  spot  where  the  deer 
had  been  drinking  they  found  Henry's  quarry  quite 
dead.  The  deer  Dave  had  hit  was  thrashing  around 
in  some  brushwood. 

"  I  reckon  he'll  want  another  shot,"  said  Dave, 
and  reloaded  his  firearm  with  all  speed.  Then  he 
primed  up  and  approached  the  deer,  but  before  he 
could  pull  trigger  Henry  stopped  him. 

"  He  don't  need  it,"  came  from  the  older  youth. 
"  Save  your  powder  and  ball.  I'll  fix  him." 

Giving  his  gun  to  Dave,  Henry  rushed  up  behind 
the  deer,  at  the  same  time  drawing  the  long  hunting 
knife  he  had  lately  gotten  into  the  habit  of  carrying. 
Watching  his  chance  he  plunged  the  knife  into  the 
deer's  throat.  The  stroke  went  true  and  soon  the 
beast  had  breathed  its  last 

"  Good  for  you,"  cried  Dave,  enthusiastically. 
"  No  use  in  talking,  Henry,  you  were  cut  out  for  a 
hunter.  You'll  be  as  good  as  Sam  Barringford  if 
you  keep  on." 


14  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  Oh,  you  did  about  as  well  as  I  did,  Dave,"  was 
the  modest  rejoinder.  "  But  this  is  a  prime  haul, 
no  use  of  talking.  Mother  will  be  tickled  to  death." 

"  I  reckon  we'll  all  be  pleased — we  haven't  had 
deer  meat  for  some  time.  But  we're  going  to  have 
some  work  getting  these  two  carcasses  home.  No 
use  of  trying  to  get  those  other  deer,  is  there  ?  " 

"  Use?  Not  much !  Why  that  old  buck  must  be 
about  two  or  three  miles  away  by  this  time.  Say, 
he  was  a  big  fellow,  wasn't  he?  I  should  like  to 
have  had  those  horns,  but  I  knew  there  was  no  use 
in  fetching  him  down, — his  meat  would  be  too 
tough  and  strong." 

"  I  fancy  the  best  we  can  do  is  to  make  a  drag  for 
each  deer  and  each  pull  his  own  load  home,"  went  on 
Dave.  "  If  we  leave  one  here  the  wolves  and  foxes 
will  soon  finish  the  meat." 

"  Yes,  that's  the  only  way.  And  we  might  as 
well  hurry,  for  it  is  getting  late  and  it  will  take  us 
a  good  three  hours  to  get  back  with  such  loads." 

They  were  soon  at  work,  Henry  with  his  hunting 
knife  and  Dave  with  his  pocket  Wade,  cutting  down 
some  long,  pliable  brushwood  whicn  would  make 
excellent  drags  for  both  loads.  Their  good  luck 
put  each  in  good  humor,  and  as  he  worked  Dave 
could  not  refrain  from  whistling,  his  favorite  airs, 


DEER   AND   INDIANS  15 

being,  as  of  old,  "  Lucy  Locket  Lost  Her  Pocket " 
and  "  The  Pirate's  Lady,  O!  " 

The  brushwood  cut,  they  lost  no  time  in  binding 
their  loads  fast,  and  then  Henry  led  the  way  along 
the  watercourse,  without  crossing  to  the  trail  they 
had  previously  pursued. 

"  It's  almost  as  near  this  way  as  the  other,"  he 
said.  "  And  I  reckon  it  will  be  a  bit  easier  pulling." 

"  Well,  make  it  as  easy  as  you  can,  Henry.  It's 
no  light  load,  I  can  tell  you  that.  Sam  Barringford 
was  once  telling  me  how  he  dragged  three  deer  from 
Plum  Valley  to  Risley's  new  place,  over  the  snow. 
I  don't  see  how  he  did  it." 

"  Oh,  it's  easy  when  the  crust  of  the  snow  is 
hard  enough — the  drag  goes  like  a  sled.  But  I  ad- 
mit Sam  is  a  wonderfully  powerful  man." 

"  Indeed  he  is.  Why,  it  was  a  sight  to  see — the 
way  he  fought  when  Red  Fox  and  his  followers 
attacked  the  trading  post.  He  was  a  whole  host  in 
himself." 

Inside  of  quarter  of  an  hour  they  had  reached  a 
bend  in  the  stream,  and  now  Henry  left  the  water- 
course and  pushed  on  over  a  low  hill  backed  up  by 
a  series  of  rocks. 

"  It  will  be  a  slight  pull  up  hill,"  he  said.  "  But  it 
will  save  us  nearly  half  a  mile.  We  can  rest  a  few 


1 6  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

minutes  when  we  get  to  the  top.  When  we  get  up 
there  I'll  show  you  the  spot  where  I  saw  those  four 
bears  three  years  ago." 

"  Don't  know  as  I  want  to  meet  four  bears  just 
now." 

"  Oh,  the  spot  isn't  on  this  hill — it's  on  the  hill 
to  the  left.  Pow-wow  Hill  Sam  Barringford  called 
it.  He  said  it  used  to  be  a  great  Indian  resort  when 
the  Miamies  were  in  this  neighborhood.  But  the 
redskins  from  Shunrum  came  and  drove  'em  out." 

The  top  of  the  rise  gained,  Dave  was  glad  enough 
to  rest,  and  both  sat  down  on  the  trunk  of  a  fallen 
monarch  of  the  forest,  the  home  now  of  some  chip- 
munks that  fled  quickly  at  their  approach. 

"  There  is  the  spot  where  I  saw  the  bears,"  said 
Henry,  pointing  with  his  hand  to  a  clump  of  trees 
on  the  next  hill,  quite  a  distance  away.  "  They  were 

in  a  bunch  under  that Hullo!  What  can  that 

mean  ?  "  He  broke  off  short.  "  Down  behind  the 
tree,  Dave!  Quick!" 

The  sudden  note  of  alarm  was  not  lost  on  Dave 
and  in  a  twinkle  both  the  young  hunters  were 
crouched  behind  the  fallen  tree.  Dave  caught  his 
gun  and  placed  his  hand  on  the  trigger,  but  Henry 
shoved  the  barrel  of  the  piece  downward. 

"What  did  you  see?"  came  from  the  younger 
of  the  youths. 


DEER   AND   INDIANS  17 

rt  Indians !  "  was  the  short  reply.  Henry  peeped 
carefully  forth.  "  Yes,  sir,  Indians,  just  as  sure  as 
you  are  born.  Look  for  yourself." 

"  By  the  king,  but  you're  right !  "  exclaimed  Dave, 
in  excitement.  "  Two,  three — I  see  four  of  them." 

"  I  think  I  saw  a  fifth — behind  that  rock  to  the 
right.  Yes,  there  he  is." 

"  Can  you  make  out  what  they  are?  " 

"  No,  excepting  that  they  are  none  of  White  Buf- 
falo's tribe.'* 

"  If  they  don't  belong  in  this  neighborhood  they 
are  here  for  no  good,"  said  Dave,  decidedly. 

"  I  agree  with  you  there,  Dave.  Possibly  they  are 
on  a  hunt.  But  why  should  they  come  here  when 
there  is  better  game  further  west?  " 

"  If  they  are  on  a  hunt  it's  not  for  wild  animals," 
came  from  Dave,  significantly.  "  Have  they  got 
their  war  paint  on  ?  " 

"  I  can't  see  them  clearly  enough  for  that." 

For  several  minutes  both  youths  remained  silent, 
watching  the  distant  Indians  as  they  moved  around. 
They  had  evidently  killed  some  wild  animal,  al- 
though what  it  was  the  watchers  could  not  make 
out. 

"  If  they  shot  anything  it  must  have  been  before 
we  reached  this  neighborhood,"  said  Henry,  pres- 
ently. "  I  heard  no  reports." 


1 8  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  Nor  I.  But  never  mind  that.  What  shall  we 
do?" 

"  I  don't  know,  excepting  to  go  home  with  our 
game  and  report  them.  I  don't  care  to  let  them  see 
us,  do  you  ?  " 

"  Not  if  they  are  enemies,  and  I  reckon  they  are." 

"  Do  you  suppose  they  spotted  us  ?  " 

"  I  think  not — although  you  can  never  tell,  they 
are  that  cute.  They  may  have  a  spy  working  his 
way  over  here  at  this  very  minute." 

"  Then  let  us  go  on  without  delay." 

It  was  easy  to  say  this,  but  how  to  proceed  with- 
out being  noticed  was  a  problem.  Henry's  deer  lay 
behind  the  fallen  tree,  but  Dave's  was  in  front  and 
the  younger  hunter  did  not  wish  to  leave  his  game 
behind  him. 

"  I'm  going  to  risk  it,"  said  Dave,  and  crawling 
cautiously  around  the  stump-end  of  the  fallen  tree 
he  reached  forth  and  caught  one  of  the  ends  of  the 
drag.  But  the  task  was  a  difficult  one  and  as  he 
pulled  the  deer  slipped  to  the  ground  and  the  end 
of  the  tree  branch  was  suddenly  raised  high  in  the 
air. 

"  Drop  it,"  cried  Henry,  and  Dave  did  so.  "  They 
must  have  seen  that,  Dave.  See,  two  of  them  are 
looking  this  way.  We  had  better  clear  out  and  be 
quick  about  it" 


DEER   AND   INDIANS  19 

"  I'm  going  to  have  that  deer,"  returned  the 
younger  hunter,  and  catching  the  game  by  the  hind 
legs  he  dragged  it  behind  the  tree.  Then  both  boys 
hurried  down  the  opposite  side  of  the  hill  with  all 
speed.  Here  they  placed  both  deer  on  the  single 
drag  and  continued  on  their  way  homeward  with 
all  possible  speed. 


CHAPTER  III 

DISCOVERY  AND  PURSUIT 

IT  must  be  confessed  that  both  youths  were  thor- 
oughly alarmed,  and  with  good  reason.  Since  Brad- 
dock's  defeat  they  had  heard  of  the  uprising  of  the 
Indians  at  Nancoke,  Lusher's  Run,  Willowbury,  and 
several  other  small  settlements,  and  had  heard  of 
the  murder  of  several  German  families  twenty-five 
miles  to  the  north  of  Will's  Creek  fort,  and  the 
murder  of  Lee  Cass,  and  his  wife  and  four  children, 
thirty  miles  down  the  valley.  The  outbreaks  had 
not  resulted  from  any  united  efforts  on  the  Indians 
part,  but  there  was  no  telling  how  soon  the  different 
tribes  would  dig  up  the  war  hatchet  and  descend 
upon  all  the  frontier  settlements  in  force  and  sim- 
ultaneously. 

From  the  top  of  the  hill  Henry  had  expected  to 
go  straight  home,  but  this  course  would  necessitate 
the  crossing  of  a  clearing  quarter  of  a  mile  in  ex- 
tent and  such  a  path  he  now  deemed  unwise  to  take. 

"  If  they  are  following  us,  it  will  be  dead  easy  for 
them  to  spot  us  in  the  open,"  he  said.  "  We  had 

30 


DISCOVERY   AND   PURSUIT  21 

better  stick  to  the  forest.  Of  course  they  can  fol- 
low the  trail  of  the  drag  easily  enough,  but  I  hate 
to  think  of  giving  up  so  much  meat, — after  we  had 
such  a  journey  to  bring  it  down." 

"  Don't  let's  give  it  up  yet,"  pleaded  Dave.  The 
deer  was  the  largest  he  had  yet  laid  low,  and  he 
was  correspondingly  proud  of  the  showing.  "  Per- 
haps they  aren't  after  us  at  all." 

On  they  went,  traveling  as  fast  as  their  some- 
what tired  limbs  permitted.  There  was  another 
rise  to  cross,  beyond  which  was  a  watercourse  lead- 
ing down  to  the  rear  of  their  homestead. 

"  I  think  I  know  where  there  is  a  rough  raft 
to  be  found,"  said  Henry.  "  And  if  I  can  find  it, 
we  can  place  the  deer  on  that  and  tow  them  'home. 
We  may  get  wet,  but  it  will  be  easy  work  and  we 
can  make  quicker  time  than  over  the  ground." 

"  Right  you  are,  Henry,  and  remember,  water 
leaves  no  trail,"  responded  Dave. 

They  were  soon  at  the  side  of  the  stream,  which 
at  this  point  was  several  feet  deep  and  five  to  ten 
yards  wide.  The  banks  were  thickly  overhung  with 
bushes,  now,  however,  bare  of  leaves.  At  one  spot 
was  an  inlet  and  here  Henry  pointed  out  the  raft 
he  had  mentioned,  a  crude  affair  of  four  short  logs 
lashed  together  with  willow  withes. 

"  We  can  pull  that  with  ease,"  said  Dave,  as  he 


22  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

surveyed  the  affair.     "  Come,  let  us  dump  the  deer 
aboard  at  once.     We  can  wade  along  the  bank  and 


He  broke  off  short  and  clutched  his  cousin's  arm. 
His  glance  had  strayed  up  the  stream  to  a  bend  sev- 
eral rods  away  and  there  he  had  seen  the  prow  of 
an  Indian  canoe  and  the  headgear  of  several  painted 
warriors. 

"  By  ginger !  More  Indians !  "  ejaculated  Henry, 
and  both  dropped  flat  on  top  of  their  dead  game. 
"  How  many  did  you  see,  Dave  ?  " 

"  Three  or  four, — and  there  are  several  more !  " 

"  Yes,  and  they  are  in  their  war-paint !  Dave,  do 
you  know  what  I  think  ?  " 

"  That  they  are  on  the  war-path  ?  Oh,  Henry,  if 

that  is  so ."  Dave  did  not  finish,  but  looked 

anxiously  at  his  cousin. 

"  If  that  is  so,  it  means  that  every  homestead  for 
miles  around  is  in  danger.  And  we  haven't  a 
single  soldier  within  fifty  miles !  "  added  the  older 
youth,  with  almost  a  groan. 

All  the  while  they  were  talking  they  kept  their 
eyes  on  the  Indians,  and  they  now  saw  the  redmen 
come  out  on  the  stream  and  cross  to  the  side  they 
occupied.  Then  of  a  sudden  the  warriors  sent  up 
a  shout  calculated  to  strike  terror  to  their  hearts. 


DISCOVERY   AND   PURSUIT  2 3 

"  They  have  discovered  us !  They  are  after  us !  " 
burst  from  Dave's  lips.  "  What  shall  we  do?" 

"  We've  got  to  run  for  it,"  was  Henry's  answer. 
"  Hurry  up,  before  it's  too  late." 

"  But  the  deer ." 

"  We'll  have  to  let  them  go.    Come !  " 

Side  by  side  they  darted  into  the  forest  back  of 
the  watercourse  and  made  their  way  with  all  possi- 
ble speed  between  bushes,  trees  and  rocks.  There 
was  no  trail  and  neither  knew  exactly  where  he  was 
going.  Once  Dave  tripped  on  some  roots  and  pitched 
headlong,  but  he  picked  himself  up  in  a  hurry  and, 
panting  for  breath,  kept  on  as  before. 

The  retreat  of  the  two  young  hunters  came  none 
too  quick,  for  scarcely  had  they  reached  the  shelter 
of  the  wood  when  several  of  the  Indians  let  fly  with 
their  arrows,  one  of  which  almost  clipped  Henry's 
shoulder.  This  fixed  the  situation  beyond  all  dis*- 
pute. 

"  They  are  on  the  war-path,  or  they  wouldn't  fire 
on  us,"  said  Dave.  "  Are  you  winged?  " 

"  No,  but  it  was  a  pretty  close  aim.  Who  can 
they  be?" 

"  I  believe  they  are  some  of  Fox  Head's  dirty 
band.  If  they  catch  us  I  believe  they'll  kill  us." 

"  Or  keep  us  to  torture^"   answered  the  older 


24  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

youth.  "  But  they  arc  not  going  to  catch  us  if  I  can 
help  it — and  I  think  I  can." 

While  the  two  were  talking  they  sped  on  and  on, 
deeper  and  deeper  into  the  forest.  Both  wished  to 
turn  in  the  direction  of  home,  but  did  not  dare  do 
so,  fearing  the  Indians  would  be  waiting  to  head 
them  off. 

At  the  start  the  shouts  of  their  pursuers  had 
sounded  unpleasantly  close  but  now  they  died  out 
utterly.  But  whether  the  redskins  had  given  up  the 
chase  or  were  coming  on  in  silence  they  could  not 
tell. 

"  I  don't  think  they'll  give  up  so  quick,"  was 
Henry's  comment,  as  they  paused  a  few  seconds  to 
get  their  breath.  "  I  reckon  they've  found  it  doesn't 
pay  to  yell.  We  may  get  another  volley  of  arrows 
before  we  know  it." 

Once  more  they  went  on.  Their  course  was  now 
in  a  wide  semi-circle,  calculated  to  bring  them  up  in 
the  clearing  on  the  east  side  of  their  homestead. 

"We'll  pass  Uriah  Risley's  new  cabin,"  said  Dave. 
"  It  is  our  duty  to  warn  him  of  this  danger.  He 
isn't  much  of  an  Indian  hunter,  and  if  the  redskins 
come  here  he  and  his  wife  will  be  at  their  mercy." 

Uriah  Risley  was  an  Englishman  who  had  settled 
in  the  vicinity  with  his  wife  several  years  be- 
fore. When  Dave  was  once  on  a  trip  to  Annapolis 


DISCOVERY   AND   PURSUIT  25 

with  his  uncle  the  two  had  stopped  at  Risley's  home 
and  been  agreeably  entertained.  Since  that  time,  the 
Englishman,  having  grown  more  accustomed  to  pio- 
neer life,  had  moved  further  westward  and  built 
himself  a  cabin  twice  as  large  as  that  previously  oc- 
cupied. But  though  the  man  was  a  good  farmer 
and  wood  cutter,  he  was  a  poor  marksman  and 
hunter,  and.  both  he  and  his  wife  lived  in  dread  of 
large  wild  animals  and  unfriendly  Indians. 

As  said  before,  night  was  coming  on,  and  under 
the  lofty  trees  it  was  dark.  They  had  now  to  pick 
their  way  with  care,  for  fear  of  falling  into  some 
dangerous  hole.  Half  a  mile  more  was  covered 
when  Henry  called  a  halt.  Dave  was  glad  of  this 
for  he  had  stepped  on  a  loose  stone  but  a  moment 
before  and  given  his  ankle  a  nasty  twist. 

"  I'm  wondering  which  is  the  most  direct  road 
to  Risley's,"  said  the  older  youth. 

"  I  believe  that  is  the  direction,"  answered  Dave, 
pointing  with  his  hand. 

"  I  reckon  you  are  right,  Dave.  And  how  far 
do  you  calculate  we  are  from  his  cabin  ?  " 

"  The  best  part  of  a  mile." 

"  I  agree  again.  Let  us  take  a  direct  course.  The 
Indians  must  be  far  to  the  rear — if  they  haven't 
given  up  the  chase  altogether." 

A  few  minutes  later  they  were  again  tearing  their 


26  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

way  through  the  forest,  the  growth  being  here  so 
thick  they  could  scarcely  pass.  Overhead  a  slight 
breeze  was  blowing,  but  they  felt  little  of  this.  Far 
to  the  westward  the  sun  was  slowly  sinking  behind 
the  mountains,  casting  long  shadows  across  the  tree- 
tops.  Here  and  there  the  night  birds  were  tuning 
up,  but  otherwise  all  was  as  quiet  as  a  graveyard. 

The  coming  of  night,  and  the  gravity  of  their 
situation,  made  the  boys  thoughtful,  and  for  a  long 
while  not  a  word  was  spoken.  Henry  was  thinking 
of  his  parents  and  his  sister  and  brother,  and  won- 
dering if  they  were  yet  in  peril,  while  Dave's 
thoughts  turned  to  his  father,  who  had  said  that 
morning  that  he  intended  to  go  to  Will's  Creek  fort 
on  business.  Was  his  parent  at  the  fort,  and  would 
the  soldiers  there  get  news  of  the  coming  Indian 
raid? 

Both  of  the  young  hunters  were  thus  deep  in 
thought  when  Henry  espied  a  light  directly  in 
front  of  them.  They  had  just  come  over  a  rise  of 
ground  and  found  the  light  in  a  hollow  between 
several  rocks.  It  was  an  Indian  encampment,  and 
around  the  blaze  were  seated  fully  a  score  of  war- 
riors, smoking  their  long  pipes,  and  listening  to  the 
speech  being  made  by  a  tall  chief  who  stood  in  their 
midst. 

"  More  Indians ! "  muttered  Henry,  and  threw 


DISCOVERY   AND   PURSUIT  If 

himself  flat.  "  The  neighborhood  seems  to  be  full 
of  them.  Dave,  this  means  an  awful  uprising !  We 
must  get  back  as  fast  as  we  can  and  warn  every- 
body!" 

"  I  have  seen  some  of  those  Indians  before,"  whis- 
pered the  younger  youth.  "  They  were  in  the  band 
that  attacked  the  trading  post  while  father  came  on 
here.  They  belong  to  Fox  Head's  band  and  I  be- 
lieve that  is  Fox  Head  himself  addressing  them,  for 
he  had  a  fox's  head  trailing  over  his  shoulder,  and 
a  fox  brush  among  his  head  feathers.  I'd  like  to 
shoot  him  where  he  stands.  He  deserves  it, — for 
all  he  has  done  to  injure  us."  And  Dave  gave  his 
gun  a  sudden  tight  clutch  which  was  very  suggest- 
ive. 

"  No !  no !  "  interposed  his  cousin.  "  If  you 
dropped  him  the  whole  pack  would  be  on  us  like  so 
many  wolves.  The  only  thing  we  can  do  is  to  get 
away  and  give  warning.  Let  us  crawl  back  to  the 
other  side  of  the  rise  and  go  around." 

Without  delay  they  started  to  do  as  Henry  had 
advised.  It  was  no  easy  matter,  for  the  brushwood 
was  thick  and  the  rocks  sharp  and  uneven.  They 
had  not  gone  a  distance  of  fifty  feet  when  Henry 
struck  a  loose  stone  and  sent  it  bumping  down  over 
a  dozen  others. 

Instantly  half  a  dozen  Indians  leaped  to  their  feet 


28  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

and  the  speech  of  the  leading  Indian  came  to  a  sud- 
den end. 

"  The  game  is  up !  "  cried  Dave.  "  Let  us  run !  " 
And  run  they  did,  as  fast  as  the  darkness  and  the 
nature  of  the  ground  would  permit.  The  Indians 
came  after  them,  calling  on  them  to  halt  and  then 
sending  forth  several  arrows  and  a  gun-shot,  none 
of  which,  however,  took  effect. 

"  We  are  in  for  it  now !  "  panted  Dave,  as  they 
came  to  a  halt  in  a  small  clearing,  hedged  in  on  all 
sides  by  rocks  and  dense  thickets.  "  I'm  sure  I 
don't  know  how  to  turn,  do  you  ?  " 

"  If  it  comes  to  the  worst,  we  can  take  a  stand 
against  these  rocks,"  answered  his  cousin,  grimly. 
"  But,  come,  I  think  I  see  an  opening." 

He  moved  over  to  the  rocks  and  stepped  cautiously 
into  the  darkness.  There  was  an  opening  they  had 
not  noticed  before,  a  crevice  several  feet  wide  and 
both  deep  and  long.  Into  this  he  squeezed,  and  Dave 
came  after  him.  They  pushed  forward  among  the 
dead  vines,  leaves  and  rubbish  for  a  distance  of 
thirty  feet,  and  then  halted  in  what  would  have  been 
a  small  cave  had  it  not  been  for  the  slit  of  an  opening 
at  the  top.  With  bated  breath  they  waited,  while 
their  pursuers  gradually  grew  closer. 


CHAPTER  IV 

BURNING   OF   THE    CABIN 

IT  was  not  long  before  the  two  young  hunters 
heard  the  Indians  quite  plainly.  Evidently  the  red- 
men  did  not  deem  it  necessary  to  advance  with  more 
than  ordinary  caution  for  they  conversed  with  each 
other  in  a  low  tone,  to  which  Dave  and  Henry  lis- 
tened with  interest,  although  they  could  understand 
little  of  what  was  said. 

Presently  one  warrior  took  up  a  position  in  front 
of  the  crevice  and  not  over  five  yards  from  where  the 
youths  lay  concealed.  Evidently  he  was  listening 
for  some  sound  from  them,  and  they  hardly  dared 
to  breathe.  As  might  be  expected  Dave  at  that  in- 
stant felt  a  strong  inclination  to  sneeze,  but  he  sup- 
pressed the  desire,  although  almost  bursting  a  blood 
vessel  in  consequence. 

Soon  another  Indian  came  up  and  then  a  third. 
A  talk  lasting  several  minutes  followed,  and  one 
warrior  started  to  light  a  torch.  But  the  others 
stopped  this,  fearing  it  might  draw  the  fire  of  the 
whites.  Then  one  redman  shifted  to  the  right,  an- 

39 


$O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

other  to  the  left,  while  a  third  crawled  up  over  the 
rocks  and  through  the  bushes  growing  above  the 
opening. 

By  the  time  the  Indians  were  out  of  hearing,  and 
they  dared  to  breathe  more  freely,  the  darkness  of 
night  had  settled  heavily  and  high  overhead  the 
stars  came  peeping  forth  one  by  one.  They  waited 
a  little  longer  and  then  Henry  caught  Dave  by  the 
arm. 

"What  do  you  think?"  he  whispered.  "Are 
they  gone?  " 

"  I  think  so,"  returned  the  younger  lad.  "  But 
there  is  no  telling  when  they  will  be  back.  Still  I 
reckon  we  had  better  get  out  of  here." 

"  I  agree.  But  we  can't  take  the  course  we  were 
following.  I  think  the  best  we  can  do  is  to  turn 
further  to  the  left  and  strike  Risley's  from  the  west," 
added  Henry. 

Dave  was  willing,  and  as  cautiously  as  possible 
they  climbed  back  out  of  the  crevice  the  way  they 
had  come.  Just  as  Dave  was  about  to  step  into  the 
clearing  a  sudden  whirr  of  noise  caused  him  to  jerk 
back. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  came  quickly  from  his  cousin. 

"  Some  wild  animal,"  was  the  answer  after  a 
pause. 

"Did  it  attack  you?" 


BURNING   OF   THE   CABIN  3 1 

"  No,  but  it  came  pretty  close.  I  thought  first  it 
was  an  Indian  leaping  up  out  of  the  grass." 

They  moved  off,  side  by  side,  and  each  with  his 
gun  ready  for  use.  As  Henry  was  the  hunter  of  the 
Morris  family  and  knew  the  forest  better  than  any- 
one, Dave  allowed  him  to  do  such  guiding  as 
seemed  necessary.  They  pursued  their  course  over 
one  rise  and  then  another,  and  after  that  fol- 
lowed the  windings  of  a  tiny  brook  which  Henry 
said  ran  to  within  gun-shot  of  the  Risley  home- 
stead. 

They  were  just  making  a  bend  of  the  water- 
course when  another  wild  animal  started  up  directly 
under  Henry's  feet.  It  was  a  fox  resting  in  a  hollow 
log,  and  in  its  anxiety  to  get  away  the  animal  struck 
against  Dave's  legs,  upsetting  him. 

"  Oh !  "  cried  Dave  as  he  went  down.  "  Help ! 
shoot  him ! " 

"  It's  a  fox !  "  ejaculated  Henry,  and  as  the  ani- 
mal shot  past  him  he  made  a  dive  and  caught  the 
beast  by  the  brush.  The  fox  gave  a  snarl  and  tried 
to  bite  him,  but  ere  the  head  came  around  the  young 
hunter  swung  the  fox  in  a  circle  and  brought  him 
down  with  a  dull  thud  on  the  log.  The  first  blow 
was  followed  by  another,  which  crushed  the  beast's 
skull  as  though  it  were  an  egg-shell. 

"  There !  he'll  never  bother  anybody  again,"  said 


32  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Henry,  as  he  threw  the  beast  down.  "  Wish  I  had 
time  to  skin  him.  But  we  had  better  not  lose  a 
minute." 

"  Henry,  you're  a  wonder  of  a  hunter !  "  burst  out 
Dave.  "  I  don't  believe  I  could  have  done  that.  It 
was  much  better  than  shooting  him,  for  it  saved 
powder  and  saved  making  a  noise  too." 

"  Sam  Barringford  taught  me  that  trick — al- 
though not  on  a  fox.  I  once  saw  him  hammer  the 
life  out  of  a  limping  wolf  that  way,  and  he  often 
catches  up  snakes  by  the  tail  and  snaps  their  heads 
off,  whip  fashion." 

Leaving  the  fox  where  it  had  fallen,  they  con- 
tinued on  their  way  along  the  stream  until  a  tiny 
clearing  was  gained.  Beyond  this  was  a  belt  of  tall 
and  heavy  timber,  which,  on  the  opposite  side, 
marke'd  the  boundary  of  Uriah  Risley's  new  land 
claim,  one  he  had  obtained,  through  Colonel  Wash- 
ington, from  old  Lord  Fairfax,  who  still  resided  at 
Greenway  Court. 

"  I  see  a  light !  "  said  Dave,  as  they  stopped  on 
the  edge  of  the  timber.  "  Look !  " 

Henry  did  so.  It  was  a  small  blaze,  apparently, 
and  in  the  direction  where  stood  Risley's  cabin. 

"  Can  that  be  an  Indian  camp-fire?  "  went  on  the 
younger  hunter. 

"  I  don't  think  so,  Dave.    It's  worse  than  that." 


BURNING   OF   THE   CABIN  33 

"  Worse?  Oh,  Henry,  do  you  think  it  is  Risley's 
cabin  that  is  burning?  " 

"  Just  what  I  do  think.  See,  the  flame  is  growing 
brighter.  Either  it's  the  cabin  or  that  cattle  shed  he 
has  been  building.  Come  on;  we'll  soon  know." 

Henry  now  set  off  on  a  run  through  the  timber, 
picking  the  way  with  all  the  skill  of  an  old  frontiers- 
man. Dave  kept  close  behind  his  cousin.  As  they 
advanced  they  saw  the  fire  more  plainly  and  beheld 
it  spread  out  and  mount  further  skyward.  It  was 
Uriah  Risley's  cabin  beyond  a  doubt,  and  now  the 
new  cattle  shed  had  caught  and  was  also  being  con- 
sumed by  the  devouring  element. 

"  This  is  the  work  of  the  redskins,"  panted  Henry, 
as  they  leaped  over  rough  rocks  and  tore  their  way 
through  a  clump  of  saplings.  "  And  it  proves  be- 
yond a  doubt  that  they  are  on  the  war-path." 

While  he  was  speaking  a  gun-shot  sounded  out, 
coming  from  a  great  distance.  Another  report  fol- 
lowed and  then  all  became  as  silent  as  before. 

"  That  must  be  Risley,  or  somebody  else,  fighting 
the  Indians  off,"  said  Dave.  "We'll  have  to  be 
careful  or  we'll  run  into  a  trap." 

"  Keep  in  the  timber,"  answered  Henry.  "  For 
all  we  know  there  may  be  a  hundred  redskins  in  this 
vicinity.  Hark!  They  are  around  the  cabin  sure 
enough." 


34  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

They  listened  and  amid  the  crackling  of  the  flames 
they  now  heard  the  whooping  and  yelling  of  a  score 
of  Indians,  while  the  flickering  glare  showed  to  them 
the  dusky  forms  moving  in  one  direction  and  an- 
other. Some  of  the  Indians  had  found  a  demijohn 
of  liquor  belonging  to  the  Englishman  and  were 
gulping  this  down  in  great  glee,  while  others  par- 
aded around  with  various  spoils  of  war  in  their  hands. 

"  I'd  like  to  give  'em  a  shot — they  deserve  it," 
muttered  Dave. 

"  Don't  you  do  it,"  interposed  Henry,  hastily. 
"  They'd  be  on  us  like  a  wind-fall." 

"  What  do  you  suppose  has  become  of  Mr.  Risley 
and  his  wife?  " 

"  Heaven  alone  knows,  Dave.  I  trust  they  have 
escaped." 

"  If  that  was  Mr.  Risley  shooting,  do  you  sup- 
pose his  wife  is  with  him  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  telling.  Perhaps  he  wasn't  home 
when  the  Indians  came  up.  If  that's  so  then  Mrs. 
Risley  is  either  dead  or  a  prisoner." 

"Was  she  alone?" 

"  I  think  so — at  least  I  didn't  hear  of  anybody 
going  over  lately." 

"  I  wonder  if  we  can't  get  a  bit  closer  without 
being  seen?  Perhaps  we  can  learn  something  to 
our  advantage." 


BURNING   OF   THE   CABIN  35 

"  We  might  skirt  the  timber  a  bit.  But  be  careful, 
and  if  the  Indians  come  for  us  we  had  better  run 
without  stopping  to  fire, — unless,  of  course,  they 
get  too  close,"  added  Henry. 

Once  again  he  led  the  way,  slowly  and  cautiously, 
flitting  from  one  tree  to  another  in  absolute  silence. 
The  fire  was  now  at  its  height,  lighting  up  the  sky 
for  a  long  distance  around.  The  sparks  were  blow- 
ing in  their  direction,  but  the  light  fall  of  snow  had 
wet  the  trees  and  brushwood,  so  no  harm  was 
done. 

Presently  they  found  themselves  again  close  to 
the  brook,  which  at  this  point  crossed  a  garden 
patch  that  Uriah  Risley  had  gotten  into  shape  the 
season  before.  At  the  side  of  the  brook  was  a 
roughly  constructed  milk-house,  made  of  large  stones 
for  walls  and  untrimmed  timbers  for  a  roof.  Be- 
hind this  the  boys  crouched,  to  take  another  view  of 
what  was  going  on  in  the  center  of  the  clearing. 

The  Indians  who  had  been  drinking  from  the 
demijohn  were  growing  hilarious  and  their  wild 
whooping  could  be  heard  for  a  long  distance.  At 
the  start  of  the  fire  some  furniture  had  been  hauled 
forth,  a  chest  of  drawers  and  a  bureau,  and  now 
some  of  the  redmen  set  to  work  to  break  open  both 
articles,  to  see  what  they  contained. 

"  They  are  after  everything  of  value  they  can  lay 


$6  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

hands  on,"  muttered  Dave.  "  What  a  shame !  Do 
you  see  anything  of ?  " 

The  young  hunter  broke  off  short,  for  at  that  in- 
stant came  a  low  moan  of  pain  from  the  interior  of 
the  milk-house. 

"  Are  you — you  white  people !  "  came  in  a  gasp. 
"  If  you  are,  for  the  love  of  heaven — sa — save  me !  " 

"  It's  Mrs.  Risley ! "  burst  out  Dave,  for  he  re- 
membered that  voice  well.  He  raised  his  head  up  to 
a  crack  in  the  rude  planking.  "  Mrs.  Risley,  are  you 
alone?  "  he  questioned.  "  It  is  I,  Dave  Morris,  who 
is  speaking." 

"Dave  Morris!"  A  groan  followed.  "Oh, 
Davy,  lad,  save  me,  won't  you  ?  I  am  almost  dead !  " 

"  I'll  do  what  I  can  for  you,  Mrs.  Risley.  My 
cousin  Henry  is  with  me.  We  were  out  hunting 
when  the  Indians  almost  captured  us.  The  woods 
are  full  of  them.  Is  Mr.  Risley  around  ?  " 

"  No,  he  went  to  Will's  Creek  on  business.  I  saw 
the  Indians  coming  and  I  tried  to  run  away.  But 
they  shot  at  me  with  their  arrows  and  one  passed 
through  my  left  shoulder.  Then  I  pretended  to  go 
into  the  house  and  hide,  and  when  they  came  in  I 
leaped  through  a  back  window  and  ran  for  this  place. 
I  got  into  the  water  up  to  my  shoulders  and  pulled  a 
bit  of  a  board  over  my  head,  to  keep  out  of  sight. 
They  came  down  here  and  I  thought  sure  they'd  find 


BURNING   OF   THE   CABIN  37 

me,  but  they  did  not.  But  I  am  nearly  perished  with 
the  cold,  and  the  wound  from  the  arrow  has  made 
me  very  faint.  You  will  help  me,  won't  you  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  we'll  help  you,"  put  in  Henry.  "  But 
all  we  can  do  at  present  is  to  lead  you  into  the  woods, 
and  you  can  have  my  dry  jacket  if  you  want  it.  We 
had  better  start  directly  for  our  house." 

"  I  see  a  glare  of  a  fire.    Have  they — they ?  " 

The  poor  woman  could  not  finish. 

"  Yes,  I  am  sorry  to  say  the  cabin  is  about  burnt 
up,"  said  Dave.  "  But  come,  if  your  husband  isn't 
around,  we  had  better  not  waste  time  here.  We  may 
be  needed  at  home.  It  may  be  just  as  bad  there,  you 
know." 

Both  of  the  young  hunters  crawled  around  to  the 
milk-house  door  and  went  inside.  The  board  was 
quickly  raised  and  they  helped  Mrs.  Risley  from  the 
watery  hole  in  which  she  had  been  squatting  with 
her  chin  resting  on  her  knees.  She  was  so  chilled 
and  stiff,  and  so  weak  from  her  wound,  she  could 
scarcely  stand,  and  they  had  literally  to  carry  her 
into  the  timber  whence  they  had  come. 


CHAPTER  V 

UPRISING  OF  THE  INDIANS 

SUPPORTING  Mrs.  Risley  between  them,  the  two 
youths  did  not  stop  until  they  had  passed  into  the 
timber  for  a  distance  of  five  or  six  rods.  They  had 
crossed  the  stream  once  more  and  now  reached  a 
slight  knoll  from  which  they  could  see  the  cabin, 
which  still  blazed  away,  although  the  roof  and  one 
side  had  fallen  in. 

The  faint  light  from  the  conflagration,  sifting 
through  the  bare  tree  branches,  was  the  only  light 
they  had,  and  by  this  they  set  the  sufferer  down  and 
proceeded  to  make  her  as  comfortable  as  possible. 
As  fortune  would  have  it,  Dave  wore  two  jackets, 
both  somewhat  thin.  One  of  these  he  gave  to  Henry, 
who  in  turn  gave  his  thick  jacket  to  Mrs.  Risley. 

"  You — you  are  quite  sure  you  can  spare  it?  "  she 
asked. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  answered  Henry.  "  I  am  sorry  I 
can't  give  you  something  to  put  over  your  dress, 
but  I  haven't  anything.  Before  you  put  on  the  jacket 
let  me  bind  up  that  arrow  wound." 

38 


They  could  see  the  cabin,  which  still  blazed.  —  Page  38. 


UPRISING  OP  THE  INDIANS  39 

There  was  now  no  time  to  stand  upon  ceremony 
and  she  allowed  him  to  dress  the  wound  with  all  the 
skill  he  could  muster,  Dave  in  the  meantime  keeping 
watch,  that  the  Indians  might  not  surprise  them. 
Fortunately  Henry,  having  suffered  similarly  him- 
self, knew  what  to  do,  and  after  he  had  finished  Mrs. 
Risley  announced  that  the  sore  place  felt  greatly 
relieved. 

"  But  I  don't  see  how  I  can  travel  far,"  she  said, 
trying  to  stand  up.  "  My  limbs  are  all  in  a  tremble 
under  me." 

"  We  will  help  you  along,"  said  Henry,  sympa- 
thetically, and  Dave  echoed  the  words. 

With  the  wounded  woman  between  them,  it  was 
no  easy  matter  to  pick  their  way  through  the  black 
forest  and  more  than  once  one  or  another  stumbled 
over  a  tree  root  or  into  a  hole.  Looking  back,  they 
saw  that  the  fire  was  now  dying  down.  The  whoop- 
ing of  the  redmen  also  lessened  and  finally  ceased 

altogether. 

"  I  know  you  wish  to  get  home,"  panted  Mrs.  Ris- 
ley, presently.  "  But — but — I  cannot  go — go  an- 
other step !  "  And  with  these  words  she  pitched  for- 
ward and  would  have  gone  in  a  heap  had  not  their 
strong  youthful  arms  supported  her. 

"  She  has  fainted,"  said  Henry,  "  and  it  is  not  to 
be  wondered  at.  Come,  here  is  something  of  a 


4O  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

shelter  in  between  the  rocks  and  those  trees.  We 
may  as  well  let  her  rest  there,  for  we  cannot  carry 
her  all  the  way  home." 

"  But  the  delay — "  began  Dave. 

"  Surely  you  don't  wish  to  leave  her  to  her  fate, 
Dave?" 

"  No !  no !  You  know  me  better  than  that,  Henry, 
but  I  was  thinking  of  those  left  at  home.  They  may 
be  in  trouble,  too,  and  if  so  they  will  need  us." 

"  I've  been  thinking  of  a  plan.  I'm  stronger  than 
you  and  perhaps  I  can  get  her  along  alone,  after  she 
recovers.  Can  you  find  the  house  from  here?  " 

"  I  think  I  can.  The  creek  is  just  beyond  that 
next  patch  of  timber,  isn't  it?  " 

"  Yes,  in  that  direction."  Henry  pointed  with 
his  hand.  "If  you  find  everything  all  right  you 
might  bring  father  back  to  help — if  he  isn't  afraid 
the  Indians  will  arrive  in  the  meantime." 

So  it  was  arranged,  and  without  loss  of  another 
moment  Dave  started  on  his  solitary  way  through 
the  somber  woods,  now  as  silent  as  the  grave,  for 
the  wind  had  gone  down  and  the  last  of  the  night 
birds  had  given  their  final  calls. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  Dave  would  have 
been  sleepy,  for  the  day's  tramping  had  been  suf- 
ficient to  tire  anybody,  but  now  all  thoughts  of  rest 
were  banished  and  he  was  as  alert  as  ever  as  he 


UPRISING   OF   THE   INDIANS  4! 

stole  forward,  gun  before  him,  and  his  eyes  shifting 
from  one  dark  object  to  another,  on  the  lookout 
for  a  possible  enemy. 

Dave  was  in  the  midst  of  the  next  patch  of  tim- 
ber,— some  beautiful  walnuts  and  chestnuts, — when 
he  saw  something  glimmer  through  the  darkness  far 
to  his  left.  He  was  immediately  interested,  won- 
dering what  the  light  could  be.  He  came  to  a  halt 
and  gazed  attentively  in  the  direction. 

"  It  must  be  an  Indian  camp-fire,"  he  mused. 
"  What  a  lot  of  the  redskins  there  must  be  in  this 
vicinity ! " 

He  was  about  to  move  on,  giving  the  fire  a  wide 
berth,  when  something  prompted  him  to  turn  toward 
it,  to  make  sure  that  it  was  not  the  encampment  of 
friends.  It  might  possibly  be  Barringford  or  some 
other  trapper  in  the  woods,  and  if  so  to  pass  him 
by  would  be  far  from  wise,  since  such  a  person 
might  be  able  to  afford  just  the  assistance  needed. 

Careful  of  every  footstep  taken,  Dave  gradually 
drew  close  to  the  camp-fire.  There  was  a  small, 
dry  clearing,  fringed  by  a  series  of  low  rocks,  and 
behind  these  rocks  the  young  hunter  crouched.  The 
sight  that  met  his  gaze  held  him  spell-bound. 

The  camp-fire  in  the  center  of  the  clearing  was 
divided  into  two  parts,  one  to  the  east  and  the  othet 
to  the  west.  That  in  the  east  was  beset  with  sharp 


42  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

stakes  while  its  companion  was  being  used  for  cook- 
ing purposes. 

Around  both  camp-fires  were  fully  thirty  Indians ; 
all  more  than  ordinarily  hideous  in  their  daubs  of 
red,  blue,  and  yellow  war  paint,  and  their  crowns  of 
colored  feathers  and  strings  of  animals'  teeth  and 
human  scalps.  The  redmen  had  been  marching 
around  the  camp-fires  but  now  they  halted  and  all 
sank  cross-legged  upon  the  soil. 

Suddenly,  after  a  second  of  silence,  one  Indian, 
tall  and  straight,  leaped  to  his  feet  and  holding  his 
arms  out  at  full  length  before  him  began  to  rock  his 
body  from  side  to  side,  Then  he  ran  for  one  of  the 
fires,  and  pulling  a  sharp  stick  from  its  place  in  the 
ground  smote  the  burning  end  on  his  breast. 

"  This  is  the  fear  Spotted  Wolf  has  for  the  Eng- 
lish," he  cried,  in  his  native  tongue.  "  Even  as  he 
has  pulled  this  stake  from  the  ground  so  will  he  pull 
the  English  from  their  cabins  and  burn  them  at  the 
stake.  The  English  shall  flee  at  the  sound  of  his 
war  whoop,  and  the  children  of  the  English  shall 
die  of  fright  when  he  draws  near.  The  French  are 
our  friends  but  the  English  will  be  our  enemies  so 
long  as  one  of  them  is  allowed  to  live.  I  will  go 
forward  to  kill !  Spotted  Wolf  has  spoken." 

He  sat  down,  and  immediately  another  warrior 
Jeaped  up  and  with  another  burning  stick  went 


UPRISING   OF   THE   INDIANS  43 

through  the  same  performance.  "  I  am  called  Black 
Eagle,"  he  cried,  "  because  I  have  eyes  that  never 
sleep  and  a  strength  handed  down  to  me  from  Elk 
Heart,  my  father,  and  Janassarion,  my  grandfather, 
he  who  slew  the  mighty  Little  Thunder  of  the  Dela- 
wares.  Our  medicine  men  have  spoken  and  the 
English  must  be  driven  out  like  wolves  in  the  winter 
season.  If  we  allow  them  this  land,  and  the  French 
the  land  to  the  north  and  the  west,  where  shall  the 
Indian  find  his  hunting  ground  when  he  would  hunt, 
and  where  raise  his  wigwam  when  he  would  rest 
with  his  squaw  and  his  children?  I,  too,  will  kill 
and  burn  until  our  land  knows  them  no  longer!  I 
have  the  strength  of  ten  white  men  and  I  will  use 
it.  Black  Eagle  has  spoken." 

He  had  not  yet  finished  when  two  others  sprang 
up,  followed  by  others,  until  nearly  all  were  again 
on  their  feet,  talking  of  their  alleged  wrongs  and 
boasting  of  their  strength,  and  promising  each  other 
to  do  all  in  their  power  to  wipe  out  all  English  set- 
tlers west  of  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains.  The  brag- 
ging was  often  ludicrous,  yet  it  was  easy  to  see  that 
the  Indians  were  working  themselves  up  into  a  state 
of  mind  where  they  would  hesitate  at  nothing  in  or- 
der to  accomplish  their  purpose. 

Dave  could  understand  only  a  few  words  of  what 
was  said,  yet,  from  having  such  scenes  described  to 


44  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

him  by  his  father  and  Sam  Barringford,  he  knew 
that  this  was  a  "  big  war  talk,"  as  White  Buffalo 
called  them.  Once  he  fancied  he  heard  his  Uncle 
Joe's  name  mentioned  and  his  heart  almost  stopped 
beating.  Surely  they  must  be  planning  an  attack  on 
his  home,  and  that  for  very  soon ! 

"  I  must  get  back  and  give  the  warning !  "  he  told 
himself.  "  Henry  will  have  to  do  the  best  he  can 
with  Mrs.  Risley.  If  they  get  to  the  cabin  and  kill 
Uncle  Joe,  what  will  become  of  Rodney,  Aunt  Lucy 
and  little  Nell  ?  Oh,  I  must  get  back !  " 

Turning,  he  crawled  from  the  spot  with  care,  and 
once  back  into  the  timber,  commenced  to  run,  with 
his  gun  slung  over  his  shoulder  and  his  hands  held 
out  before  him,  to  keep  from  running  afoul  of  any 
obstruction.  More  than  once  he  bumped  into  a  tree 
or  fell  sprawling  over  some  exposed  roots,  knocking 
the  wind  out  of  him.  But  he  always  picked  himself 
up  and  went  on  again  with  undiminished  speed. 
Indeed,  the  nearer  he  got  to  home  the  greater  was 
his  fear  that  something  might  have  happened  in  his 
absence  and  finally  he  fairly  flew,  when  he  reached 
familiar  ground. 

"  Hi !  who  goes  there  ?  " 

It  was  a  call  from  close  at  hand  and  it  made  Dave 
jump  as  though  stung  by  a  snake.  He  whirled 


UPRISING   OF   THE   INDIANS  45 

around,  to  behold  a  man  behind  a  tree,  a  leveled  gun 
in  his  hands. 

"  Don't  shoot ! "  he  called  out,  for  he  fancied  he 
knew  the  voice.  "  Is  that  you,  Mr.  Risley?  " 

"  Yes.    Dave  Morris,  is  it  not?  " 

"  Yes."  Dave  ran  to  meet  the  Englishman. 
"  Tell  me  quickly  is  everything  all  right  over  to  our 
house?" 

"  It  was  all  right  when  I  left,  an  hour  or  so  ago, 
lad.  But  your  uncle  had  been  talking  to  Hans  Lo- 
mann  and  said  the  German  had  heard  of  something 
of  an  Indian  uprising." 

At  this  Dave  gave  a  sigh  of  relief.  But  immedi- 
ately his  heart  sank,  at  the  thought  of  the  news  he 
had  to  impart  to  his  friend. 

"  The  Indians  are  rising,  all  over  this  section  of 
the  country.  They  attacked  your  cabin." 

"  My  cabin !  "  The  Englishman  could  scarcely 
utter  the  words.  "  Davy,  is  it  the  truth  ?  And 
what  of  my  wife — tell  me  quickly !  " 

"  Your  wife  is  safe,  although  she  got  an  arrow 
through  the  shoulder.  The  redskins  attacked  the 
cabin  and  set  fire  to  it.  She  leaped  out  of  a  rear 
window  and  hid  in  the  milk-house.  Henry  and  I 
came  up  just  in  time  to  get  her  into  the  woods.  We 
ran  as  far  as  we  could  and  then  she  fainted.  Henry 


46  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

said  he  would  stay  with  her  and  told  me  to  come  on 
and  give  the  alarm.  We  were  afraid  the  Indians 
had  attacked  our  place,  although  we  didn't  hear  any 
shooting  or  see  any  fire." 

"  Then  the  cabin  is  destroyed  ?  But  never  mind 
that.  You  are  sure  the  wound  wasn't  fatal  ?  " 

"  Quite  sure,  for  Henry  dressed  it  as  well  as  he 
could.  But  she  was  very  weak  from  having  been  in 
the  water  under  the  milk-house  floor  so  long." 

"  And  where  are  they  now  ?  " 

"  About  a  mile  or  more  from  here — in  that  direc- 
tion. But  you  want  to  be  careful.  There  are  In- 
dians all  around  here — one  band  is  over  yonder  hold- 
ing a  war  talk — and  I'm  sure  they'll  show  you  no 
mercy  if  they  catch  you." 

The  Englishman  nodded  his  head  half  a  dozen 
times.  "  I  know  it,  lad,  I  know  it.  They  are  a  blood- 
thirsty set.  Sometimes  I  am  sorry  I  came  to  this 
country  to  settle  among  them.  But  times  were  bad 
with  us  in  old  England,  and  we  had  to  do  some- 
thing. But  you'll  take  me  to  my  wife,  won't  you, 
that's  a  brave  lad." 

"  I— I  don't  know,"  faltered  Dave.  He  was  still 
anxious  to  go  home.  "  Perhaps  you  can  find  them 
alone." 

"  I'm  not  equal  to  it,  lad — the  forest  is  almost  as 
much  of  a  mystery  to  me  as  the  day  I  landed  here. 


UPRISING   OF   THE   INDIANS  47 

Do  come,  and  then  we  can  all  go  back  to  your  home 
with  all  possible  speed." 

The  young  hunter  could  see  that  Uriah  Risley  was 
sorely  distressed,  and  unwilling  to  add  to  the  man's 
misery,  he  consented  to  go  back,  although  he  knew 
the  way  was  full  of  ever-increasing  perils.  Soon 
they  were  on  the  way,  and  tired  as  he  was  Dave  set 
a  pace  that  caused  the  settler  to  puff  and  blow  to 
keep  up  with  him. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE   DISAPPEARANCE   OF   HENRY 

IT  must  be  confessed  that  though  he  walked 
swiftly,  Dave's  heart  was  anything  but  light.  Turn 
the  subject  as  he  might  he  felt  it  "  in  his  bones,"  as 
he  afterward  declared,  that  a  big  uprising  was  close 
at  hand  and  that  this  might  mean  the  wiping  out 
of  every  pioneer  for  scores  of  miles  around. 

"The  soldiers  at  Will's  Creek  fort  and  at  Win- 
chester ought  to  know  of  this,"  he  observed  to  Uriah 
Risley.  "  Someone  will  have  to  carry  the  news." 

"  Perhaps  someone  has  already  done  so,"  was  the 
Englishman's  answer.  He  heaved  a  sigh.  "  So  the 
cabin  is  to  the  ground.  Alack!  it  was  a  sorry  day 
when  I  pushed  to  the  front  instead  of  taking  up 
ground  close  to  Winchester,  as  the  good  housewife 
wanted  me  to."  And  he  shook  his  head  dolefully. 

In  moving  toward  the  spot  where  he  had  left 
Henry  and  Mrs.  Risley,  Dave  took  great  care  to 
steer  clear  of  the  camp-fires  of  the  various  Indians 
he  had  encountered.  This  was  no  easy  task  and 
more  than  once  they  came  close  to  running  into  a 
"  hornet's  nest,"  as  he  called  it 

4§ 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   OF   HENRY  49 

Once  Uriah  Risley  gave  a  cry  of  alarm  and  came 
close  to  discharging  his  fire-arm.  A  wolf  had  slunk 
across  their  path  in  the  darkness  and  the  Englishman 
took  the  form  to  be  that  of  a  sneaking  Indian. 

"  A  redskin !  He  will  scalp  us !  "  he  cried,  and 
was  on  the  point  of  pulling  the  trigger  when  Dave 
stopped  him. 

"  No !  no !  "  It's  only  a  wolf !  "  cried  the  youth. 
"  Don't  waste  your  powder  and  ball.  Besides,  a 
shot  will  arouse  every  Indian  for  quarter  of  a  mile 
around." 

"  A  wolf  ?  So  it  must  have  been."  Uriah  Risley 
drew  a  long  breath  and  lowered  his  musket.  "  He 
gave  me  a  good  scare,  I  must  vow." 

"  Hush !  It  won't  do  to  talk  so  loud,"  went  on 
the  boy.  "  For  all  we  know  the  Indians  may  be 
trailing  us  and  be  ready  to  pounce  on  us  at  any 
moment." 

These  words  caused  the  Englishman  to  glance 
back  apprehensively,  and  hurry  on  faster  than  ever. 
"  It's  a  beastly  woods,"  he  said.  "  I  wish  we  were 
out  of  it." 

"  We  are  safer  here  than  in  a  clearing,"  was  the 
answer.  "  Come  close  behind  me  and  keep  quiet, 
and  I  think  we'll  be  safe." 

On  and  on  they  went.  Dave's  lower  limbs  ached 
and  trembled  under  him,  for  he  was  now  almost 


5O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

fagged  out  and  it  was  only  will-power  that  kept  him 
up.  Slowly  they  climbed  the  last  rise  of  ground. 
At  a  distance  glowed  the  dying  embers  of  a  camp- 
fire. 

"  There's  a  redskins'  nest,"  said  the  youth,  as  he 
paused  for  a  moment.  "  But  it  looks  as  if  they  had 
deserted  the  place." 

"  Then  we'll  have  to  be  doubly  cautious,  lad. 
They  may  be  scattered  in  this  vicinity." 

"  You  are  right.  But  I  hope  not,  for  we  are  now 
close  to  where  I  left  your  wife  and  Henry." 

With  added  caution  Dave  crept  forward  another 
couple  of  hundred  feet.  Then  he  stopped  and  peered 
around  him  in  perplexity. 

"What  is  it,  lad?" 

"They  are  gone!" 

"Gone?" 

"  Yes,  gone." 

"  You  are  certain  this  is  the  spot?  " 

"  I  am.  I  know  it  well,  by  this  fallen  tree  and 
that  rock.  They  have  moved  to  another  quarter — 
or  else " 

"  Or  else  the  redskins  have  attacked  them  and  car- 
ried them  off,"  finished  Uriah  Risley.  He  gave  a 
groan.  "Oh,  lad,  what  is  best  to  do  now?  Tell 
me,  for  you  are  better  versed  to  this  sort  of  thing 
than  I." 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   OF    HENRY  5! 

"  I — I  don't  know  what  to  do,"  faltered  the  young 
hunter,  staring  first  at  the  helpless  man  before  him 
and  then  at  the  gloomy  surroundings.  "  Wait  a 
minute,  and  keep  your  hands  on  your  gun.  But  don't 
shoot  me  or  Henry  or  your  wife  by  mistake." 

Leaving  Risley  in  the  center  of  the  little  open- 
ing Dave  started  to  walk  around  in  a  wide  circle. 
He  did  this  with  extreme  caution,  his  head  bent 
close  to  the  ground  and  his  eyes  noting  every  root 
and  rock  that  covered  his  path.  Then  he  took  an- 
other circle,  still  wider,  and  at  last  came  back  to 
where  his  companion  stood,  the  picture  of  misery 
and  despair. 

"  I  found  nothing,"  he  said,  in  reply  to  the  Eng- 
lishman's questioning.  "  They  are  gone,  and  I  don't 
believe  there  are  any  Indians  close  to  us.  I'm  going 
to  make  a  light  and  risk  it." 

He  brought  forth  his  flint  and  tinder  and  soon  had 
a  tiny  light,  which  he  applied  to  some  dry  leaves 
and  then  a  stick  of  wood  which  was  full  of  pine 
pitch.  This  latter  made  a  fairly  good  torch,  and 
holding  it  close  to  the  ground  he  continued  the 
search. 

Suddenly  he  uttered  a  cry  of  horror.  He  had 
come  to  a  spot  where  the  ground  was  torn  up  by 
many  footprints.  Close  at  hand  was  a  white  birch 
tree  and  on  its  bark  were  several  spots  of  deep  red. 


52  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  There  has  been  a  fight,"  he  said,  as  Uriah  Ris- 
ley  came  closer.  "  See  how  they  struggled.  There 
is  blood  on  the  tree  and  there  is  a  bit  of  cloth  torn 
from  Henry's  jacket — or  rather,  the  jacket  I  left 
him."  Dave  gave  a  deep  shudder.  "  I — I  wonder 
if  Henry  is  dead?" 

"My  wife,  my  poor,  poor  Caddy!"  moaned 
Uriah  Risley,  and  for  a  moment  covered  his  face 
with  his  hands.  "  Oh,  lad,  this  is  monstrous,  mon- 
strous! Heaven  help  her  if  she  is  in  the  power  of 
such  savages ! " 

"  Yes,  heaven  help  them  both,"  returned  Dave. 

Torch  in  hand,  the  youth  followed  a  bloody  trail 
through  the  forest  until  it  ended  abruptly  by  the 
side  of  one  of  the  numerous  streams  in  that  vicinity. 
Here  he  came  to  a  halt,  and  as  Risley  rejoined 
him  both  stared  vacantly  at  each  other. 

"Well?"  said  the  Englishman. 

"  They  went  up  or  down  the  stream,"  answered 
Dave.  "  But  which  way  I  can't  say.  But  one  thing 
is  certain — neither  of  them  was  killed." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?  " 

"  If  they  were  we  should  have  found  their  bodies. 
The  Indians  wouldn't  bother  to  carry  'cm  off.  They'd 
simply  scalp  'em  and  let  it  go  at  that." 

"  Perhaps  they  threw  the — the  bodies  into  the 
water." 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   OF   HENRY  53 

Dave  shook  his  head.  "  No,  I'm  pretty  certain 
they  carried  'em  off  as  prisoners." 

There  was  an  awkward  pause  and  something  like 
a  lump  arose  in  Dave's  throat.  If  Henry  was  a  pris- 
oner and  the  Indians  were  on  the  war-path  this  could 
mean  but  one  thing  for  the  youth — burning  at  the 
stake  or  some  similar  torture.  The  silence  was 
broken  by  Uriah  Risley. 

"  It's  a  burning  shame,  lad,  an  outrage.  But  what 
can  we  do  now  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  do  excepting  to  go  home 
and  give  the  alarm.  It  won't  do  any  good  to  stay 
here.  The  Indians  may  fall  on  us  half  a  hundred 
strong — just  as  they  most  likely  fell  on  Henry  and 
your  wife." 

"  But — but  I  cannot  desert  my  poor  wife,  my 
beloved  Caddy.  She  is  all  the  world  to  me.  I'd 
rather  die  myself  than  see  a  hair  of  her  head  in- 
jured." 

"  Then  you  had  better  continue  the  hunt,  while  I 
go  home.  If  you  should  fall  in  with  'em  tell  Henry 
how  matters  stand.  But,  Mr.  Risley,  let  me  caution 
you  not  to  be  rash,  if  you  catch  sight  of  Mrs.  Risley 
in  the  hands  of  the  redskins.  If  you  give  them  the 
chance  they'll  burn  you  at  the  stake — and  it  won't 
help  her  a  bit  either." 

"  I'll  try  to  be  cautious,  lad.    I  hate  to  have  you 


54  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

go,  but  I  suppose  after  all  it's  for  the  best.  Do  what 
you  can  to  save  Mrs.  Morris  and  little  Nell  and  the 
rest.  Leave  me  the  torch.  I'll  go  up  and  down  the 
stream  a  bit  and  investigate." 

A  minute  more  and  they  had  parted,  shaking 
hands  in  a  fashion  that  meant  a  great  deal.  Per- 
haps they  would  never  again  meet  in  this  world. 
Dave  turned  away  and  stole  off  silently,  his  eyes 
staring  straight  ahead  and  his  throat  working  con- 
vulsively. Ah,  how  little  do  the  boys  of  to-day, 
living  in  their  comfortable  homes  and  surrounded 
with  every  luxury  and  convenience,  realize  how 
much  their  great-grandfathers  of  those  days  had 
to  endure  in  the  shape  of  privation  and  peril! 

So  tired  that  he  could  scarcely  drag  one  limb  after 
the  other,  Dave  pursued  his  course  through  the 
forest.  Fortunately  his  "  bump  of  locality "  was 
well  developed  and  there  was  small  danger  of  his 
getting  totally  lost,  even  though  he  might  go  more 
or  less  astray.  It  was  now  beginning  to  snow  again, 
but  it  was  so  warm  that  the  particles  of  white  melted 
as  soon  as  they  fell.  Not  a  star  was  to  be  seen  any- 
where and  the  way  was  blacker  than  ever. 

Reaching  the  first  rise  of  ground,  the  youth  felt 
compelled  to  rest  and  threw  himself  at  the  foot  of 
a  large  tree  with  his  musket  across  his  knees,  ready 
for  use  should  he  be  surprised.  Once  or  twice  his 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   OF   HENRY  55 

eyes  closed  in  spite  of  his  efforts  to  keep  them  open. 
But  he  invariably  straightened  up,  determined  to 
keep  awake  at  all  hazards. 

"  I'll  not  rest  until  I  know  all  at  home  are  safe," 
he  told  himself.  "  I  must  get  along  somehow." 
And  he  staggered  up  and  continued  his  course. 

He  had  not  gone  over  a  rod  when  he  saw  some- 
thing dark  moving  ahead.  The  object  looked  like  a 
pair  of  Indians,  coming  slowly  toward  him,  and  his 
heart  leaped  into  his  throat.  He  raised  his  gun  and 
pointed  it. 

But  ere  he  was  called  on  to  fire  he  saw  the  object 
more  distinctly  and  uttering  something  of  a  cry  of 
joy  he  lowered  his  weapon  and  rushed  forward. 

"  Widgeon !  "  burst  from  his  lips,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment more  he  had  hold  of  the  mane  of  one  of  Uriah 
Risley's  horses — an  animal  that  had  escaped  from 
the  Indians  when  the  shed  was  set  on  fire.  "  Where 
did  you  come  from  ?  How  lucky  I  am  to  find  you !  " 

The  horse  seemed  to  recognize  Dave,  for  he  gave 
a  low  whinny  and  rubbed  his  cold  nose  on  the 
youth's  jacket  sleeve.  A  broken  halter  dangled  from 
his  neck,  but  he  possessed  neither  saddle  nor  bridle. 
He  was  covered  with  a  cold  moisture,  showing  that 
he  had  run  considerably  after  having  broken  away. 

Having  found  the  horse  Dave's  spirits  arose  a 
little.  He  led  the  animal  forward  and  struck  out 


56  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

for  a  new  route  homeward,  longer  than  that  which 
he  had  been  pursuing  but  free  from  thickets  and 
pitfalls.  As  soon  as  he  thought  it  safe  to  do  so  he 
leaped  upon  Widgeon's  back,  spoke  to  the  horse, 
and  set  off  on  a  comfortable  jog,  which  later  on, 
when  the  ground  became  more  familiar,  he  increased 
to  a  gallop. 

Once  Dave  fancied  he  heard  Indians  in  pursuit 
and  holding  on  to  Widgeon's  mane  with  one  hand, 
drew  up  his  gun  with  the  other.  But  the  noises  died 
away  in  the  distance,  and  after  that  came  no  more 
alarms.  At  last  he  came  in  sight  of  home  and  found 
to  his  joy  that  it  remained  as  he  had  left  it,  undis- 
turbed. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A  DOUBLE  WARNING 

As  my  old  readers  know,  the  cabin  of  the  Morris 
family  was  located  in  a  wide  clearing,  between  a 
fair-sized  creek  and  a  brook  flowing  into  the  larger 
stream.  When  we  saw  it  before,  it  was  a  long,  low 
but  comfortable  building,  containing  four  rooms  on 
the  ground  floor,  and  a  loft  under  the  sloping  roof 
which  was  principally  used  for  the  storage  of  winter 
supplies. 

During  the  past  summer  Mr.  Joseph  Morris  had 
made  an  addition  to  the  cabin  by  building  on  at 
what  was  the  kitchen  end.  This  was  now  a  new 
kitchen  while  the  old  kitchen  had  become  the  gen- 
eral living  room.  The  old  living  room,  so  called, 
had  been  divided  into  two  bedrooms,  so  that  the 
house  was  now  large  enough  not  alone  for  the  regu- 
lar family  but  also  for  such  occasional  visitors  as 
came  that  way. 

The  coming  of  night  made  all  of  those  at  home 
anxious  for  the  return  of  the  two  young  hunters. 
Feeling  that  both  would  be  thoroughly  hungry,  Mrs. 

57 


58  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Morris  had  cooked  a  liberal  supper,  of  which  after 
waiting  an  hour,  those  in  the  cabin  had  eaten  their 
share.  The  remainder  now  simmered  in  the  pot 
and  kettle  hung  over  the  big  open  fire,  while  Mrs. 
Morris  moved  uneasily  about,  clearing  away  the 
dirty  dishes  and  occasionally  glancing  out  of  the 
doorway  in  the  direction  she  fancied  they  must  come. 

"  It  is  strange  what  is  keeping  them,"  she  said  to 
the  others.  "  I  trust  they  haven't  gotten  into 
trouble." 

"  Perhaps  they  have  struck  more  deer  than  they 
bargained  for,"  answered  her  husband,  who  had  just 
entered  with  a  bucket  of  water  from  the  well. 
"  Henry  said  he  felt  certain  he  would  bag  some- 
thing— and  he  rarely  deceives  himself  when  it  comes 
to  game.  Like  as  not  they'll  come  along  toting  all 
they  can  carry." 

"  I  wish  they'd  bring  mamma  another  bear  skin," 
put  in  little  Nell.  "  Wouldn't  it  be  beautiful — if  it 
matched  the  one  Mr.  Washington  let  cousin  Dave 
have?" 

"  No !  no !  A  bear  might  harm  them !  "  put  in 
Mrs.  Morris  hastily.  "  It's  a  bad  time  of  year  to 
tackle  such  beasts,  so  I  heard  Sam  Barringford  say." 

"  You  let  Henry  and  Dave  alone  when  it  comes  to 
any  kind  of  game,"  came  from  Rodney,  who  sat  in 
his  easy  chair  close  to  the  roaring  fire.  "  Why,  the 


A  DOUBLE   WARNING  59 

worst  game  they  could  meet  wouldn't  be  half  as  bad 
as  the  Indians  and  French  they  had  to  face  when 
they  went  to  war.  You  forget,  mother,  what  splen- 
did shots  both  of  them  are." 

But  the  mother  turned  away  shaking  her  head 
doubtfully.  Perhaps  her  instinct  told  her  what  grave 
trouble  was  brooding.  She  looked  out  of  the  door- 
way once  more  and  spoke  to  her  husband. 

"  Did  James  say  when  he  should  be  back  ?  " 

"  He  couldn't  tell,  because  he  didn't  know  if  he 
could  complete  his  business  right  away  or  if  he  would 
have  to  wait  to  see  certain  parties.  Like  as  not  he 
won't  come  back  until  to-morrow,  or  the  day  after. 
He  knew  there  was  no  need  to  hurry.  We  can't  do 
anything  much  on  the  farm  just  now." 

As  even  home-made  candles  were  somewhat 
scarce,  the  family  did  without  any  light  excepting 
that  afforded  by  the  fire  in  the  big-mouthed  chimney, 
the  genial  glare  of  which  threw  fantastic  shadows  on 
the  walls.  Little  Nell  did  not  particularly  fancy 
those  shadows  and  so  asked  permission  to  climb  into 
Rodney's  lap. 

"  Why  of  course,"  said  the  cripple,  and  took  her 
up  at  once.  Then  she  insisted  that  he  tell  a  story, 
"but  not  about  bears,  or  wolves,  or  Indians,  but 
about  a  fairy  and  a  princess,  and  a  castle  full  of 
gold,"  and  Rodney  did  his  best  to  tell  the  most  mar- 


6O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

velous  story  his  brain  could  invent.  But  long  before 
the  good  fairy  had  given  the  princess  a  beautiful 
prince  for  a  husband,  and  the  castle  full  of  gold  in 
the  bargain,  little  Nell  was  sound  asleep,  so  the  story 
was  never  finished. 

As  the  night  wore  on  even  Mr.  Morris  began  to 
show  his  anxiety,  and  without  saying  a  word  he 
got  down  his  musket  from  over  the  chimney  shelf 
and  brought  forth  his  horn  of  powder  and  his  little 
bag  of  home-made  bullets. 

"  You  are  going  after  them  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Morris. 

"  I'll  wait  a  bit  longer,"  he  answered.  "  But  I 
thought  I'd  be  prepared,  in  case  anything  was 
wrong." 

Having  put  little  Nell  to  bed,  Mrs.  Morris  brought 
forth  her  knitting  and  for  some  time  only  the  click- 
clicking  of  the  polished  needles  broke  the  silence. 
Then  Rodney,  who  had  been  sitting  with  his  chin  in 
his  hands,  watching  the  burning  logs,  roused  up. 

"  I  don't  suppose  there  is  any  use  of  my  staying 
up,"  he  said.  "  My  back  doesn't  feel  quite  as  well 
as  it  did  yesterday.  I'll  go  to  bed,"  and  he  shuffled 
off  to  the  bedroom  he  occupied.  This  was  the  one 
nearest  to  the  kitchen,  on  the  south  side,  and  had 
been  given  to  the  cripple  because  it  was  warmer  in 
the  winter  than  the  others. 


A   DOUBLE    WARNING  6 1 

Left  to  themselves,  the  time  seemed  to  drag  more 
heavily  than  ever  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris.  Every 
thought  was  centered  on  their  son  Henry  and 
nephew  David.  What  could  be  keeping  the  pair  ? 

"  They  must  have  met  with  an  accident,"  said  the 
pioneer  at  length.  "  Perhaps  one  of  them  fell  in  a 
hole  and  broke  a  leg.  I  know  there  are  several 
nasty  pitfalls  in  the  vicinity  of  the  salt  lick.  I  guess 
I  had  better  go  out  and  look  for  them." 

Joseph  Morris  was  soon  ready  for  the  journey, 
promising,  whether  he  found  them  or  not,  to  be  back 
inside  of  two  hours.  He  went  on  horseback,  riding 
Fanny,  Dave's  favorite  mare,  the  animal  that  had 
once  been  stolen  and  so  fortunately  recovered. 

Left  to  herself,  Mrs.  Morris  knitted  faster  than 
ever.  But  even  the  flying  needles  could  not  stop  her 
anxiety,  and  more  than  once  she  threw  down  the 
work,  to  go  to  the  doorway  and  gaze  earnestly  in 
every  direction.  How  dark  and  lonely  the  mighty 
forest  looked.  Something  caused  her  to  shiver  in 
spite  of  herself.  She  listened  intently. 

What  was  that?  A  sound  at  a  great  distance. 
As  it  drew  closer  she  made  out  the  hoof-beats  of  a 
horse  on  a  gallop.  She  ran  into  the  cabin  and  in 
true  pioneer  fashion  armed  herself  with  a  musket, 
ready  to  consider  every  newcomer  an  enemy  until 


62  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

he  proved  himself  a  friend.  Swiftly  the  horse  came 
closer  and  she  now  made  out  a  youth  hanging  heavily 
over  the  animal's  neck. 

"Dave!  is  it  you?" 

"  Yes,  Aunt  Lucy,"  was  the  answer.  The  boy 
rode  up  and  dropped  heavily  to  the  ground.  "  Are 
you  all  safe  ?  " 

"  Safe  ?  Of  course  we  are.  What  has  happened  ? 
Where  is  Henry  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  where  Henry  is — just  now.  I 
left  him  in  the  woods  doing  what  he  could  for  Mrs. 
Risley.  The  Indians  surrounded  their  cabin  and 
burnt  it  down,  and  Mrs.  Risley  escaped  to  the  milk- 
house.  We  rescued  her  from  her  hiding  place  in  the 
water  and  got  her  into  the  woods.  Then  I  started 
for  home,  but  I  met  Mr.  Risley  and  had  to  take  him 
back  to  where  I  had  left  Henry  and  Mrs.  Risley. 
We  couldn't  find  either  of  them,  and  it  looked  as  if 
they  had  had  a  fight.  Mr.  Risley  remained  to  in- 
vestigate and  I  came  home  as  quickly  as  I  could  to 
give  the  alarm.  The  Indians  are  rising  all  over  and 
are  going  to  massacre  everybody  they  can  lay  hands 
on." 

While  talking  Dave  staggered  into  the  kitchen 
and  sank  down  heavily  on  a  bench. 

"  Mercy  on  us,  Dave,  you  don't  really  mean  it ! 


A  DOUBLE   WARNING  63 

The  Risley  cabin  burnt  down,  and  the  Indians  on  the 
war-path !  Why,  we'll  all  be  murdered !  " 

"  We  shall  be  unless  we  take  means  to  defend  our- 
selves, Aunt  Lucy.  Where  are  father  and  Uncle 
Joe?" 

"  Your  father  has  gone  to  Winchester  and  won't 
be  back  before  to-morrow  or  next  day.  Your  uncle 
went  off  a  spell  ago  to  look  for  you  and  Henry.  Are 
the  Indians  coming  this  way?  Tell  me  about 
Henry." 

As  anxious  as  she  was  the  good  woman  saw  that 
her  nephew  was  not  only  tired  out  but  also  hungry, 
and  as  she  talked  she  bustled  about  and  prepared  his 
meal  for  him  at  the  corner  of  the  table  nearest  to 
the  fire.  Dave  devoured  his  supper  in  short  order, 
telling  all  he  had  to  relate  at  the  same  time.  It  is 
needless  to  state  that  Mrs.  Morris  was  greatly 
alarmed.  The  loud  talking  of  the  pair  aroused  Rod- 
ney, who  called  from  the  bedroom  to  know  what 
was  wrong,  and  when  told  the  cripple  lost  no  time  in 
dressing  himself. 

"  If  they  come  here  we'll  have  to  defend  ourselves 
as  best  we  can,"  said  Rodney.  "  I  can't  run  but  I 
can  shoot  pretty  straight,  and  if  mother  will  load 
for  us  I  guess  we  can  give  'em  some  pretty  good 
shots.  What  we  want  to  do  first  of  all  is  to  shut  all 


64  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

the  shutters  tight  and  get  in  all  the  water  we  can- 
to drink  and  to  put  out  fires  with.  It's  lucky  father 
cut  those  port-holes  in  the  roof.  They'll  be  just  the 
spots  to  bring  down  Injuns  from." 

"  My  boy,  you  cannot  do  it !  "  cried  Mrs.  Morris. 
in  increased  alarm.  "  Even  if  your  father  gets  back 
what  can  three  do  against  a  horde  of  redskins  ?  They 
will  fire  the  cabin  and  shoot  you  down  the  moment 
you  are  driven  out  by  the  flames." 

"  Well,  I  don't  believe  in  letting  the  rascals  have 
our  cabin  and  belongings,"  returned  Rodney,  stub- 
bornly. "  I'm  only  a  cripple,  but  I'm  willing  to 
fight  to  the  last.  If  we  run  for  it,  how  much  can  we 
take  along?  Not  much,  I  can  tell  you  that." 

"  Yes,  but  our  lives  are  more  precious  to  us  than 
our  things  here,"  said  his  mother.  "  And  remem- 
ber Nell,  Rodney.  If  she  fell  into  the  Indians'  hands 
— "  Mrs.  Morris  did  not  finish,  but  her  breast 
heaved  and  two  big  tears  started  from  her  eyes  and 
rolled  down  her  cheeks. 

"  Well,  you  wouldn't  want  to  go  before  father  got 
back,  would  you  ?  "  asked  Rodney,  after  a  pause. 

"  He  is  coming  now — at  least  I  hear  somebody  on 
horseback!  "  cried  Dave.  "  Perhaps  it's  an  Indian," 
and  he  reached  for  his  gun,  which  he  had  brought 
in  and  placed  beside  the  door. 

He  went  out,  and  Mrs.  Morris  and  Rodney  came 


A  DOUBLE   WARNING  65 

behind  him,  each  with  some  sort  of  firearm.  As  the 
horseman  came  closer  they  saw  that  it  was  indeed  an 
Indian.  But  the  white  feathers  and  the  general 
bearing  of  the  new  arrival  soon  reassured  them. 

"  White  Buffalo!  "  called  Dave,  and  ran  to  meet 
the  Indian  chief  who  had  been  the  family's  friend 
for  so  many  years. 

"  How-how !  "  returned  the  Indian,  and  came 
straight  up  to  the  cabin  door.  "  Where  is  my  white 
brother  Joseph,  and  my  white  brother  James  ?  "  he 
questioned  anxiously. 

"  Father  is  at  Winchester,"  answered  Dave. 
"  Uncle  Joseph  went  off  awhile  ago  to  look  for 
Henry  and  me.  We  were  out  hunting  but  found 
out  the  Indians  are  rising.  Do  you  know  about  that, 
White  Buffalo?" 

"So  the  white  boy  knows  the  news  already?" 
White  Buffalo's  face  fell  a  little,  for  he  had  hoped 
to  be  the  first  to  bear  intelligence.  "  Yes,  it  is  true, 
they  have  dug  up  the  war  hatchet,  and  have  mur- 
dered many  people  already.  I  came  to  help  you, 
and  I  bring  a  message  from  Captain  Tanner." 

"  And  your  tribe — will  they  join  those  who  rise 
against  the  English  ?  "  asked  Rodney. 

For  a  moment  White  Buffalo  hung  his  head  on 
his  breast.  Then  with  an  effort  he  straightened  up. 
"  Some  of  the  Delawares  are  fools — they  will  not 


66  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

listen  to  White  Buffalo  but  listen  to  Skunk  Tail  and 
drink  the  fire-water  the  French  give  them.  We  have 
had  a  pow-wow  and  some  would  go  to  the  French 
and  some  to  the  English.  At  Big  Tree  I  left  eighteen 
braves  who  will  follow  me  and  fight  for  the  Eng- 
lish. The  others  have  joined  Skunk  Tail  and  Fox 
Head  of  the  Miamis,  and  the  tribes  under  Rolling 
Thunder  and  Canshanran,  and  will  fight  for  them- 
selves and  for  the  French.  They  think  not  of  right 
or  of  honor,  but  will  burn  and  murder  and  steal  all 
they  can.  A  black  day  and  a  black  night  are  com- 
ing, and  how  it  will  end  only  He  who  rules  the 
Happy  Hunting  Ground  can  tell." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

DEPARTURE    FROM    HOME 

IT  was  not  until  White  Buffalo  came  into  the  light 
of  the  kitchen  fire  that  they  saw  he  was  wounded. 
Blood  was  trickling  from  an  arrow  thrust  in  the  left 
shoulder.  At  the  sight  of  this  Mrs.  Morris  uttered 
a  slight  scream. 

"  You  are  wounded,  White  Buffalo !  Why  didn't 
you  say  so  before?  Let  me  bind  it  up  for  you." 

"  No  big  heap  hurt,"  answered  the  Indian.  "  Only 
little  cut  him."  Nevertheless,  he  was  glad  enough 
to  have  the  lady  of  the  cabin  bind  it  up,  after  which 
he  said  it  felt  better. 

White  Buffalo  had  but  little  to  add  to  what  has 
already  been  narrated  excepting  that  in  coming  to 
the  cabin  to  give  warning  he  had  fallen  in  with  some 
rival  Indians,  three  of  whom  had  sought  to  stop  him. 
A  hand-to-hand  fight  had  resulted  and  White  Buf- 
falo had  sent  one  man  to  earth  by  a  blow  from  his 
tomahawk  and  ridden  over  a  second  in  such  a  fash- 
ion that  the  enemy  had  not  stirred  afterward.  The 
arrow  wound  had  been  received  previous  to  this,  but 
the  chief  had  not  noticed  it  until  some  time  later. 

67 


68  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

The  continued  talking  had  roused  little  Nell  and 
now  she  came  running  out  of  the  bedroom  in  her 
robe  of  white  begging  to  know  what  was  the  matter. 
She  gave  a  scream  when  she  saw  the  Indian,  but 
quickly  recovered  when  she  recognized  White  Buf- 
falo. 

"  I  thought  it  was  one  of  the  bad  Indians,"  she 
said,  in  her  simple  fashion.  "  I'm  not  afraid  of 
you,  White  Buffalo,  am  I  ?  " 

"  White  Buffalo  glad  not,"  answered  the  chief, 
taking  her  by  the  hand.  "  White  Buffalo  would  not 
harm  one  hair  of  little  Nell's  head,"  and  he  stroked 
the  curly  top  affectionately. 

"  You  said  you  carried  a  message,"  put  in  Rod- 
ney, suddenly.  "  Where  is  it?  " 

From  among  his  feathers  White  Buffalo  produced 
a  single  sheet  of  paper.  It  was  covered  with  a  hasty 
scrawl,  running  as  follows: 

"  FRIEND  MORRIS  :  The  Indians  are  rising.  I 
think  it  best  that  all  settlers  in  this  vicinity  gather  at 
Fort  Lawrence  for  safety.  Shall  send  messengers 
wherever  I  can.  Garwell's  cabin  is  in  ashes  and 
himself  murdered  and  Mrs.  Garwell  carried  off,  and 
it  is  said  that  Risley's  cabin  is  also  burning. 

"  JOHN  SMITH  TANNER." 


DEPARTURE    FROM    HOME  69 

"  Captain  Tanner  wants  us  to  gather  at  Fort  Law- 
ence  for  safety,"  said  Dave,  after  listening  to  the 
reading  by  his  cousin.  "  I  believe,  Aunt  Lucy,  he  is 
right.  The  rising  is  so  widespread  that  it  would  be 
foolhardy  to  remain  here.  We  might — " 

The  youth  broke  off  short  and  ran  toward  the 
doorway.  But  White  Buffalo  was  ahead  of  him. 
Both  had  heard  the  approach  of  a  horse.  It  was 
Joseph  Morris  returning,  and  he  was  alone. 

"Thank  heaven  you  are  safe!"  ejaculated  the 
pioneer,  as  he  leaped  to  the  ground  and  came  into  the 
cabin.  "  I  was  afraid  you  might  all  be  murdered. 
So  Dave  is  here.  Where  is  Henry  ?  " 

"  Gone,"  answered  Dave.  "  You  saw  nothing  of 
him,  or  of  Mrs.  Risley  or  her  husband  ?  " 

"  I  did  not.  But  I  saw  Indians — hundreds  of 
them.  They  are  on  the  war-path.  We  must  get 
out  of  here.  There  is  not  a  moment  to  spare." 

"  Oh,  father !  "  The  cry  came  from  Mrs.  Morris 
and  she  clung  close  to  her  husband,  while  little  Nell 
set  up  a  wild  sobbing.  "  Must  we  leave  it  all — 
everything?  " 

"  All  but  what  we  can  conveniently  carry  on  horse- 
back, Lucy.  I  believe  the  redskins  will  be  here 
within  the  hour." 

Only  a   few  more  hurried   words   passed,   and 


7O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Joseph  Morris  glanced  at  the  note  White  Buffalo 
had  brought.  The  Indian  looked  very  grave. 

"  My  white  brother  Joseph  will  go  to  Fort  Law- 
rence ?  "  he  questioned. 

"  Yes.  I  see  no  other  way.  I  would  rather  go 
to  the  fort  at  Will's  Creek,  but  the  Indians  are  cov- 
ering that  trail  already.  You  will  stick  to  us,  White 
Buffalo,  won't  you  ?  " 

"  To  the  death." 

The  pioneer  grasped  the  chief's  hand  warmly. 
"  I  knew  I  could  depend  on  you.  Where  are  the 
braves  under  you  ?  " 

"  Two  miles  from  here — at  the  Big  Tree.  Say 
where  I  shall  meet  you  and  if  White  Buffalo  can  do 
it  it  shall  be  done." 

"  We  will  go  to  Fort  Lawrence  by  the  brook  way, 
— past  where  you  and  I  shot  the  bear  and  her  two 
cubs  two  winters  ago.  Meet  me  on  that  trail. 
Hurry,  for  we  may  need  you  sorely." 

Without  a  word  White  Buffalo  darted  from  the 
cabin  and  a  moment  later  they  heard  him  ride  away 
at  the  best  speed  his  steed  could  attain. 

There  was  now  a  great  confusion  in  the  cabin. 
Knowing  that  she  must  really  leave,  Mrs.  Morris 
set  to  work  to  gather  her  most  nrecious  thinofs  into 
several  bundles  which  might  be  carried  on  horse- 
back. As  well  as  he  was  able  Rodney  helped  her, 


DEPARTURE   FROM    HOME  Jl 

and  little  Nell  also  took  a  hand,  bound  to  save  the 
few  precious  toys  she  possessed,  including  the  doll 
White  Buffalo  had  made  for  her.  It  made  the  good 
woman's  heart  ache  sorely  when  she  realized  how 
little  could  be  carried  and  how  much  of  all  that  was 
dear  to  her  must  be  left  behind  for  the  Indians  to 
burn  or  plunder. 

While  this  was  going  on  in  the  cabin  Dave  ran 
to  the  outbuilding  where  he  brought  forth  the  sev- 
eral horses  and  saddled  and  bridled  them.  Then  he 
let  out  the  live  stock,  turning  the  cows  into  the  for- 
est, to  shift  for  themselves.  He  wanted  to  take  the 
cows  along,  but  his  uncle  doubted  if  there  would  be 
time. 

While  the  others  worked  Joseph  Morris  looked  to 
all  the  firearms  and  got  them  into  readiness  for  use. 
Then  he  rode  around  the  clearing  to  learn  if  the  trail 
he  had  mentioned  to  White  Buffalo  could  still  be 
used. 

"Come,  we  must  go!"  he  cried,  presently. 
"  Hark,  don't  you  hear  the  distant  war-whoops  ? 
The  Indians  are  advancing.  If  we  wait  another  five 
minutes  we  may  be  lost !  " 

From  the  cabin  came  Mrs.  Morris,  Rodney  and 
little  Nell,  carrying  the  several  bundles  they  had 
made  up.  Little  Nell  cried  piteously  and  the  silent 
tears  coursed  down  Mrs.  Morris's  cheeks. 


72  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Fortunately  there  were  horses  for  all,  with  an 
extra  animal  for  some  of  the  bundles.  The  latter 
were  hurriedly  adjusted  and  fastened. 

"  Now,  Dave,  you  lead  the  way,"  said  Joseph 
Morris.  "  I  will  fix  things  so  that  the  redskins  may 
be  deceived  when  they  come  up." 

"  All  right,  Uncle  Joe.  But  don't  stay  back  too 
long,"  was  the  lad's  answer. 

Astride  of  his  favorite  mare  Fanny,  Dave  headed 
the  silent  procession  across  the  clearing,  and  into 
the  woods.  As  soon  as  possible  he  struck  into  the 
brook,  that  their  trail  might  be  hidden  by  the  water. 
He  knew  this  way  well,  so  there  was  no  hesitation. 
Behind  him  came  Mrs.  Morris  and  little  Nell,  and 
Rodney  brought  up  the  rear,  with  the  extra  horse. 
Each  carried  all  that  was  possible,  but  the  youths 
had  their  bundles  strapped  on,  that  they  might  have 
free  hands  for  their  guns,  should  they  wish  to  use 
the  weapons. 

Left  to  himself,  Joseph  Morris  closed  the  shutters 
of  the  cabin  and  dampened  down  the  fire  with  ashes. 
Then  he  ran  up  to  the  loft,  opened  one  of  the  port- 
holes in  the  roof  and  placed  in  it  the  shining  barrel 
of  an  old  musket  which  had  long  ago  seen  its  best 
days.  Behind  the  musket  he  placed  a  pillow  upright 
and  on  the  top  an  old  hat. 

When  he   left  the  cabin  and   walked   away  he 


DEPARTURE   FROM    HOME  73 

glanced  back  at  his  dummy  and  a  smile  lit  up  his 
bronzed  face.  At  a  distance  it  looked  exactly  like 
somebody  on  guard. 

"  That  will  fool  them  for  awhile  anyway,"  was 
his  mental  comment.  "  And  even  a  little  time  is 
better  than  nothing,"  and  he  rode  off  swiftly  after 
the  others. 

He  was  soon  with  them,  for  on  account  of  the 
bundles  and  Rodney's  condition  they  could  not  make 
as  good  progress  as  they  wished.  Fort  Lawrence 
was  a  good  twelve  miles  off  and  though  it  was  de- 
sirable to  reach  that  place  before  daybreak,  it  was 
questionable  if  they  could  make  the  distance. 

"  If  we  can't  reach  the  fort  by  five  o'clock  we  had 
best  remain  in  the  woods  until  darkness  comes 
again,"  said  Mr.  Morris.  "  Because  by  morning 
the  fort  will  most  likely  be  surrounded,  even  if  the 
redskins  remain  in  hiding." 

"  I  wonder  what  father  will  do,"  came  from  Dave. 

"  Oh,  he  will  know  enough  to  look  out  for  him- 
self, Dave.  Remember,  he  is  the  best  frontiersman 
in  the  whole  family." 

"  Yes,  Uncle  Joe,  that's  true,  but  if  he  thinks  we 
are  at  the  cabin  and  in  peril  he  may  do  something 
rash  trying  to  save  us." 

"  As  soon  as  you  are  safe  at  the  fort  I  will  see 
what  can  be  done,  not  only  for  him  but  also  for 


74  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Henry  and  the  Risleys.  I  am  afraid  Henry  has  had 
serious  trouble.  Perhaps  he  is  dead,"  and  Joseph 
Morris  shook  his  head  sorrowfully. 

Making  as  little  noise  as  possible,  they  pushed 
forward  to  the  point  where  White  Buffalo  had  prom- 
ised to  meet  them  with  his  braves.  Too  tired  to  re- 
main awake,  little  Nell  had  fallen  asleep  in  her  moth- 
er's arms,  but  the  others  were  wide-awake. 

Presently  a  distant  gun-shot  broke  upon  their  ears. 
Another  followed,  and  then  came  a  wild  whooping 
and  yelling  which  continued  for  ten  minutes  or  more. 
When  it  started  Joseph  Morris  called  a  halt,  but  soon 
told  the  others  to  move  on  again. 

"  They  have  attacked  the  cabin,"  he  said,  sadly. 
"  Those  shots  were  probably  aimed  at  the  dummy  I 
set  up.  They  will  be  in  a  fearful  rage  over  the  ruse 
and  will  no  doubt  do  their  best  to  follow  us.  We 
must  lose  no  time  on  the  way." 

"  Won't  they  know  we  are  bound  for  Fort  Law- 
rence and  try  to  head  us  off?  "  questioned  Rodney. 

"  There  is  no  telling,  my  son.  We  must  trust  to 
luck  and  our  skill  to  evade  them." 

It  was  not  long  before  a  red  glare  appeared  in  the 
sky,  in  the  direction  where  the  cabin  was  located. 
All  knew  what  that  meant  but  nobody  said  a  word, 
for  fear  of  breaking  down.  But  Joseph  Morris 
gritted  his  teeth  in  a  fashion  which  showed  only  too 


DEPARTURE   FROM    HOME  75 

plainly  what  was  passing  in  his  mind.  Given  the 
chance  and  he  would  make  the  Indians  pay  dearly 
for  the  destruction  of  his  property. 

Suddenly  Dave  drew  rein  and  up  went  his  gun, 
aimed  at  a  figure  standing  under  a  tree  ahead.  But 
the  figure  put  up  an  arm  and  waved  it  familiarly 
and  the  gun  dropped  to  the  lad's  side.  White  Buf- 
falo was  awaiting  them  with  eleven  of  his  best  war- 
riors. The  others  of  the  tribe  had  deserted  to  the 
enemy. 

"  My  white  friends  have  been  slow  in  coming  up," 
said  the  chief.  "  They  have  lost  precious  time.  The 
enemy  are  on  every  side.  It  will  be  no  easy  task  for 
White  Buffalo  to  lead  his  friends  to  the  fort." 

"  We  made  as  much  haste  as  we  could,"  said 
Rodney.  The  rough  ride  was  beginning  to  tell  upon 
him  and  he  was  almost  ready  to  pitch  from  the  sad- 
dle through  sheer  weakness. 

A  few  words  more  followed,  and  the  trail  through 
the  forest  was  resumed,  some  of  the  Indians  going 
ahead  and  others,  including  White  Buffalo,  bring- 
ing up  the  rear,  to  keep  back  the  advance  of  any 
who  might  be  following  from  the  burning  cabin. 

They  were  still  two  miles  from  the  fort  when 
some  of  the  Indians  in  the  front  sounded  a  note  of 
warning.  But  this  was  not  needed  for  a  minute 
later  they  fell  in  with  a  neighbor  also  bound  for  the 


76  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

fort.  This  neighbor  had  with  him  his  two  sons, 
two  daughters  and  his  sick  wife,  whom  they  were 
carrying  on  a  litter. 

"  No  Injuns  around  here  as  yet,"  said  the  neigh- 
bor, whose  name  was  Larkwell.  "  But  they  are 
coming  jest  as  fast  as  they  can.  We  can't  git  to  the 
fort  none  too  soon." 


CHAPTER  IX 

GATHERING  AT   FORT   LAWRENCE 

FORT  LAWRENCE  was  little  more  than  a  fort  in 
name  only.  It  was  a  spot  selected  by  the  Morrises 
and  others  living  within  a  radius  of  one  to  twenty- 
two  miles,  where  they  might  congregate  for.  safety 
at  any  time  when  the  way  to  Will's  Creek  or  Win- 
chester should  be  cut  off. 

The  fort  was  located  at  a  point  where  two  small 
streams  joined.  Here  the  brushwood  and  trees  had 
been  cleared  off  for  a  distance  of  little  over  an  acre. 
Some  trees,  running  in  a  semi-circle  from  one  brook 
to  the  other,  had  been  left  standing,  and  between 
these  a  rude  stockade  had  been  planted  of  logs,  ten 
to  twelve  feet  high  and  sharp-pointed  at  the  top. 
Along  the  two  watercourses  were  a  series  of  rough 
rocks  and  on  top  of  these  other  rocks  had  been 
placed,  making  a  barrier  almost  as  high  as  the 
wooden  one  opposite.  In  the  wooden  stockade  and 
among  the  rocks,  port  holes  were  placed,  so  that 
those  inside  could  command  every  avenue  of  ap- 
proach with  their  firearms.  To  the  whole  there  was 

77 


7  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

a  rude  gateway,  but  as  yet  no  gate  further  than  some 
heavy  brushwood  piled  conveniently  near, — thorn 
brush,  which  all  Indians  despised. 

So  far  there  had  assembled  at  the  fort  six  fami- 
lies, consisting  of  eight  men  and  seven  women,  with 
fifteen  children  of  all  ages,  from  'boys  and  girls  of 
Dave's  growth  to  an  infant  in  arms.  These  pio- 
neers had  brought  with  them  all  the  earthly  posses- 
sions which  they  or  their  beasts  of  burden  could 
carry,  and  these  goods  were  now  piled  high  in  the 
center  of  the  stockade,  where  there  was  something 
of  a  hollow  among  the  rocks.  Back  of  this  pile  was 
a  second  hollow,  rudely  thatched  with  tree  branches, 
and  here  the  women  and  the  smaller  children  assem- 
bled, the  little  ones  either  sleeping  soundly  or  cry- 
ing shrilly  for  the  comforts  to  which  they  were 
accustomed. 

Among  the  men  was  Captain  John  Smith  Tanner, 
a  Virginian,  of  mixed  English  and  German  blood. 
Captain  Tanner  had  fought  under  Washington  at 
Braddock's  defeat  and  also  done  good  work  during 
several  Indian  uprisings,  and  this  had  won  for  him 
the  military  title,  which,  however,  was  not  of  the 
king's  troops  but  of  the  local  militia.  The  captain 
was  an  out-and-out  backwoodsman,  a  bachelor,  and 
a  man  well-liked  by  nearly  all  who  knew  him. 

As  we  know,  it  was  Captain  Tanner  who  had 


GATHERING   AT    FORT   LAWRENCE  79 

sent  the  note  to  Joseph  Morris's  house  by  White 
Buffalo,  and  now  he  and  several  others  of  the  set- 
tlers waited  anxiously  for  the  appearance  of  not 
alone  these  friends,  but  of  five  other  pioneers,  in- 
cluding Uriah  Risley.  Eight  men  to  defend  both 
the  stockade  and  the  rocks  were  not  many,  and  the 
captain  felt  that  should  the  enemy  appear  in  force 
matters  would  speedily  reach  a  crisis  with  the  whites. 

"  Somebuddy  comin' !  "  shouted  one  of  the  watch- 
ers, presently.  "  An  Injun !  " 

"  Can  you  make  him  out  ?  "  questioned  the  cap- 
tain, but  before  the  question  was  fairly  finished  the 
watcher  continued : 

"  It's  White  Buffalo,  and  some  white  folks  with 
him." 

In  a  moment  more  the  Morrises  and  Larkwells 
came  into  view,  and  the  thorn-brush  was  pulled  aside 
to  allow  them  to  enter  the  enclosure.  The  party 
rode  in  one  at  a  time,  Joseph  Morris  being  the  last 
to  enter.  Rodney  was  so  tired  and  exhausted  he 
could  not  stand  and  Dave  led  him  to  a  seat  on  a 
tree  stump  and  then  assisted  his  aunt  and  little  Nell 
to  alight. 

"  Oh,  dear!  Where  are  we?  "  cried  the  little  girl, 
who  had  just  awakened.  "  I  "-bought  I  was  home 
in  bed!" 

"  You  are  safe  with  mamma,   dear,"  answered 


8O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Mrs.  Morris,  hugging  her  tightly.  "  We  have  come 
to  the  fort  to  get  away  from  the  wicked  Indians." 

"  And  I  was  asleep  all  the  time  ?  How  funny !  " 
Little  Nell  stared  around  her.  "  Oh,  there  is  Mary 
Lee  and  Martha  Brownley !  "  she  ejaculated.  "  I'll 
have  company,  won't  I  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  her  mother,  and  they  joined 
their  neighbors, — if  those  living  miles  away  could 
be  called  such. 

The  woman  on  the  litter  cared  for,  all  the  "  men 
folks,"  which  included  several  who  were  little  more 
than  boys,  assembled  to  map  out  a  plan  of  action  and 
decide  what  should  be  done  with  White  Buffalo  and 
his  warriors.  The  Indian  Chief  was  willing  to  aid 
them  as  much  as  was  in  his  power,  but  did  not  wish 
to  enter  the  stockade,  preferring  to  fight  from  the 
shelter  of  the  forest  beyond. 

"  It  is  the  redman's  way,"  said  White  Buffalo, 
"  even  as  it  is  the  way  of  the  wildcat  to  fight  in  the 
darkness.  White  Buffalo  can  do  more  from  the 
outside  than  from  the  inside  of  the  fort." 

"  I  reckon  you're  right,  Injun,"  answered  Captain 
Tanner.  "  But  now  you've  carried  one  message 
for  us  I  rather  wish  you'd  carry  another." 

"  White  Buffalo  will  do  what  is  best  for  his  white 
brethren." 


GATHERING   AT    FORT    LAWRENCE  8l 

"  I'd  like  to  send  word  to  Winchester,  to  Colonel 
Washington,  letting  him  know  just  how  we're  fixed 
here."  The  captain  turned  to  those  around  him. 
"  Isn't  that  a  good  plan?  " 

"  It  is,"  said  one,  "  but  these  Indians  may  give  us 
lots  of  help, — if  the  enemy  come  on  us  in  heavy  num- 
bers. They  oughtn't  all  to  go." 

The  matter  was  talked  over,  and  at  last  it  was 
decided  to  let  White  Buffalo  start  for  Winchester 
with  two  of  his  braves,  leaving  the  other  redmen  to 
scatter  through  the  woods  and  give  the  alarm  on 
the  approach  of  the  enemy.  A  letter  was  hastily 
written  to  Washington,  and  White  Buffalo  started 
off  just  as  the  first  streaks  of  dawn  were  beginning 
to  appear  in  the  east. 

Fortunately  for  those  present,  some  of  the  pio- 
neers had  brought  with  them  large  stocks  of  provi- 
sion, so  there  was  no  need  for  anybody  to  go  hungry 
for  a  long  while  to  come,  should  the  Indians  lay 
siege  to  them.  Water  could  also  be  had  in  plenty, 
which  was  desirable  both  for  drinking  purposes  and 
in  case  of  fire. 

With  the  coming  of  day  those  in  the  fort  breathed 
more  freely,  for  they  knew  that  even  if  the  enemy 
came  up  it  was  not  likely  they  would  begin  an  attack 
until  darkness  once  again  settled  down.  In  the 


82  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

meantime  the  work  of  strengthening  the  defense 
went  on  steadily,  a  laborer  only  quitting  when  he 
found  it  necessary  to  lie  down  for  a  few  hours'  sleep. 

The  Indians  had  gone  out,  the  thorn-brush  had 
been  piled  high  in  the  gateway,  and  for  the  time 
being  there  seemed  nothing  for  the  pioneers  to  do 
but  to  sit  down  and  await  developments.  Several 
campfires  were  burning  and  over  these  a  morning 
meal  was  cooked,  to  which  all  but  one  or  two  in- 
valids did  ample  justice.  The  assemblage  divided 
itself  into  half  a  dozen  groups,  each  talking  in  a  low 
tone  of  the  prospects. 

The  Morrises  were  chiefly  concerned  over  the  fate 
of  Henry.  When  she  thought  of  her  boy  perhaps 
murdered  and  scalped  the  bitter  tears  of  anguish 
rolled  down  Mrs.  Morris's  cheeks,  and  the  little  the 
others  could  do  to  cheer  her  up  was  of  no  avail. 

"  From  what  Dave  says  there  must  have  been  a 
fierce  fight,"  she  moaned.  "  And  more  than  likely 
our  poor  dear  Henry  got  the  worst  of  it.  We'll 
never  see  the  brave  boy  again !  "  And  her  tears 
burst  forth  afresh. 

"  I  would  go  on  a  hunt  for  him,  only  I  know  it 
would  be  next  to  useless,"  returned  her  husband. 
"  Besides,  at  such  a  time  as  this  I  feel  my  place  is 
at  your  side,  and  with  Nell,  Rodney,  and  Dave." 
And  she  had  to  admit  that  this  was  true. 


GATHERING   AT   FORT   LAWRENCE  8$ 

Slowly  the  morning  wore  along.  It  had  stopped 
snowing  and  not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness,  out- 
side of  the  gentle  murmur  of  the  brooks  as  they 
met  between  the  rocks,  and  the  songs  of  the  birds  in 
the  forest.  Not  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring,  and 
as  Dave  climbed  into  one  of  the  stockade  trees  to 
survey  the  situation  it  looked  as  if  no  Indians  were 
within  miles  of  them.  But  this  he  knew  to  be  un- 
true, since  White  Buffalo's  warriors  could  not  be 
far  off  and  the  enemy  was  surely  working  their  way 
in  that  direction. 

"  I  fancy  it's  the  calm  before  the  storm,"  he  said 
to  Rodney,  who  having  had  'several  hours  of  rest 
felt  much  stronger.  "  We'll  catch  it  all  the  worse 
when  it  does  come." 

"  If  only  I  wasn't  crippled,"  sighed  Rodney.  "  I'd 
fight  just  as  hard  as  any  of  Jem." 

"  I've  no  doubt  of  that,  Rodney.  Well,  when  the 
time  comes  perhaps  you'll  have  your  share  of  the 
shooting  same  as  any  of  us.  You  can  watch  from 
a  port-hole,  even  if  you  have  to  sit  down  to  it." 

;<  Yes,  I've  already  told  Captain  Tanner  I  wanted 
one  of  those  places  at  the  north  brook  to-night.  I 
don't  intend  to  let  you  fellows  do  the  work  while  I 
go  and  sleep.  The  women  folks  and  the  children 
are  the  only  ones  to  take  it  easy." 

"  Even  the  women  folks  will  have  their  hands  full 


84  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

— loading  for  us — when  the  real  attack  begins.  The 
first  ten  minutes  are  what  counts.  It  was  that  way 
when  the  Indians  attacked  father's  trading  post.  If 
we  hadn't  put  it  to  'em  hot-like  from  the  first  minute 
we  would  never  have  beaten  'em  back." 

By  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  all  that  could  be 
done  was  finished,  and  then  Captain  Tanner  insisted 
upon  it  that  the  majority  of  the  men  and  boys  lie 
down  to  rest. 

"  You  won't  get  any  sleep  to-night,  so  make  the 
most  of  your  time  now,"  were  his  words.  Then  he 
climbed  the  tallest  tree  in  that  vicinity,  to  take  a  long 
and  careful  look  around.  But  this  survey  brought 
nothing  new  to  light. 

It  was  just  sundown  when  the  first  alarm  came  in. 
An  Indian  carrying  a  white  feather  was  seen  sneak- 
ing up  to  the  stockade.  Seeing  it  was  one  of  White 
Buffalo's  followers  the  captain  sent  Joseph  Morris 
out  to  interview  him. 

"  The  Indians  who  side  with  the  French  are  com- 
ing," announced  the  warrior.  '  They  come  by  the 
trail  we  traveled  and  by  the  trail  in  yonder  path- 
way," pointing  with  his  hand.  "  They  are  in  four 
bands,  and  Gray  Tail  heard  that  they  will  strike  to- 
night when  darkness  covers  the  land." 

This  was  all  that  the  Indian  could  tell,  but  it  was 
enough,  and  Joseph  Morris  ran  back  to  inform  Cap- 


GATHERING   AT   FORT   LAWRENCE  8$ 

tain  Tanner  and  the  others.  Those  who  were  sleep- 
ing were  aroused,  and  each  man  and  boy  was  as- 
signed to  his  place  of  duty. 

As  he  had  desired,  Rodney  was  placed  near  one 
of  the  brooks.  The  young  man's  father  was  sta- 
tioned some  distance  above  him  and  Dave  an  equal 
distance  below.  Next  to  Dave  came  a  pioneer  named 
Ike  Lee,  and  the  others  followed,  completing  the  cir- 
cle of  the  fort.  Then  all  waited  anxiously  for  a  first 
sign  of  the  advancing  enemy,  each  with  his  eyes 
strained  to  their  utmost  and  with  his  finger  on  the 
trigger  of  his  firearm. 


CHAPTER  X 

HOW  HENRY  FARED 

LET  us  now  go  back  to  Henry  Morris  and  find  out 
what  occurred  to  the  young  hunter  and  Mrs.  Risley 
immediately  after  Dave  departed  from  the  resting 
place  in  the  forest. 

As  we  know  the  tired  woman  had  fainted  from 
exhaustion,  and  for  fully  ten  minutes  Henry  had  all 
he  could  do  to  restore  her  to  consciousness.  He 
rubbed  her  hands  and  wrists  vigorously  and  fanned 
her  face  with  his  cap,  and  at  last  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  her  open  her  eyes. 

"  Oh !  "  she  murmured.  "  I — I — what  happened  ? 
Did  I— I  fall?" 

"  You  fainted  I  reckon,"  answered  the  young 
hunter,  kindly.  "  The  walk  was  too  much  for  you." 

"  Yes — I  felt  I  couldn't  go  another  step,  Henry. 
I  see  we  are  still  in  the  woods.  Are  the  Indians 
near?" 

"  I  don't  think  they  are — at  least,  we  haven't  seen 
anything  of  them." 

"Where  is  Dave?" 

86 


HOW    HENRY    FARED  87 

"  He  has  gone  on  ahead,  to  see  if  all  is  right  at 
home,  and  if  it  is  to  bring  help." 

"  I  would  give  all  I  possess  to  be  at  your  cabin," 
said  the  poor  woman,  with  a  sigh.  She  tried  to 
rise,  then  sank  back  heavily.  "  I — I — don't  see 
how  I  am  going  to  walk." 

"  You  had  better  rest  a  bit  longer,  Mrs.  Risley. 
"  There  is  no  great  hurry.  It  may  pay  us  to  go 
slow — with  so  many  redskins  lurking  about.  They 
may  be — " 

Henry  broke  off  short,  and  thinking  his  compan- 
ion was  about  to  speak,  clapped  his  hand  over  her 
mouth.  Through  the  stillness  of  the  forest  he  had 
caught  sounds  that  could  mean  but  one  thing — the 
approach  of  several  men.  In  a  moment  more  he 
caught  glimpses  of  a  flickering  light  approaching. 

"  We  must  hide !  "  he  whispered  in  Mrs.  Risley's 
ear.  "  Come,  there  isn't  a  second  to  lose !  " 

"  But  where  shall  we  go?  "  she  panted,  her  heart 
leaping  into  her  throat.  "  I  cannot  run  a  step — it 
will  kill  me!" 

The  young  hunter  looked  around  in  perplexity. 
There  was  some  brushwood  to  their  right,  growing 
among  some  sharp-pointed  rocks.  He  caught  his 
companion's  hand  and  almost  dragged  her  in  that 
direction.  On  the  rocks  Mrs.  Risley's  foot  slipped 
and  she  gave  a  cry  of  pain. 


88  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  My  ankle — I  have  twisted  it  badly !  " 

"  Hush!  they  will  hear!  "  he  answered,  and  see- 
ing she  could  go  no  further,  he  caught  her  in  his 
youthful  arms  and  carried  her  forward.  In  the 
midst  of  a  clump  of  bushes  he  laid  her  down  and 
threw  himself  flat  beside  her,  at  the  same  time  hold- 
ing some  brushwood  down  over  them. 

By  this  time  the  glimmer  of  light  had  come  closer. 
It  was  a  torch,  held  in  the  hands  of  a  tall  Indian, 
who  was  following  up  the  trail  of  the  whites  with 
great  care.  The  Indian  had  with  him  six  compan- 
ions, all  armed  with  either  guns  or  bows  and  arrows, 
and  each  hideous  in  his  war-paint. 

Hardly  daring  to  breathe,  Henry  awaited  their 
close  approach,  his  left  hand  holding  down  the 
bushes  and  his  right  on  his  gun.  Soon  the  warriors 
were  at  the  spot  where  Mrs.  Risley  had  fainted. 
Here  they  came  to  a  halt  and  began  to  talk  in  low 
tones. 

It  was  a  moment  of  intense  anxiety,  and  it  must 
be  confessed  that  Henry's  heart  almost  stopped  beat- 
ing. The  warrior  with  the  torch  held  the  light 
aloft,  and  all  in  the  party  gazed  around  with  eyes  as 
piercing  as  those  of  some  wild  beasts. 

In  a  moment  more  something  happened  which 
changed  the  tables  of  fortune.  Unable  to  bear  the 
pain  of  her  twisted  ankle,  Mrs.  Risley  drew  in  a 


HOW    HENRY   FARED  89 

sharp,  rasping  breath  which  sound  reached  the  ears 
of  one  of  the  Indians.  Instantly  he  stepped  in  that 
direction  and  spoke  to  the  warrior  with  the  torch. 
Three  of  the  band  came  forward  with  swift  steps 
and  arrows  pointed.  A  yell  rent  the  air,  telling  that 
those  in  hiding  were  discovered. 

Seeing  it  was  useless  to  remain  prostrate  Henry 
leaped  up.  An  arrow  whizzed  past  his  shoulder  and 
would  have  struck  him  fairly  in  the  breast  had  he  not 
leaped  to  one  side. 

He,  too,  blazed  away,  and  saw  the  leading  Indian 
go  down,  shot  through  the  breast,  a  serious  if  not  a 
mortal  wound.  Then  he  pulled  Mrs.  Risley  to  her 
feet. 

"  Run !  "  he  cried.  "  Run !  It  is  your  only  chance. 
Hide  in  the  woods !  " 

She  limped  off,  but  ere  she  had  gotten  a  dozen 
steps  two  of  the  warriors  were  after  her,  and  she  was 
made  a  prisoner.  In  the  meantime  Henry  retreated 
to  a  clump  of  birch  trees  and  there  made  a  stand 
against  the  remaining  Indians. 

The  struggle,  which  lasted  but  a  few  minutes,  was 
an  unequal  one.  Another  arrow  was  fired,  and  it 
grazed  his  left  hand,  causing  the  blood  to  flow  freely, 
and  making  the  stains  afterward  discovered  by  Dave. 
Then  one  of  the  red  men  came  up  behind  the  trees, 
and  reaching  out  struck  him  with  the  flat  side  of  a 


9O  MARCHING  ON    NIAGARA 

tomahawk.  Henry  tried  to  turn  and  grapple  with 
his  assailant,  but  suddenly  his  senses  left  him  and 
he  knew  no  more. 

"  'Tis  one  of  the  Morris  family,"  said  the  Indian 
with  the  torch,  in  his  native  tongue.  He  made  an 
examination.  "  He  is  not  dead." 

"  A  good  capture,"  said  another.  "  We  must 
take  him  along.  Gonawak,  you  must  help  to  carry 
him." 

"  And  what  of  the  woman  ?  "  asked  the  warrior 
addressed  as  Gonawak,  well  known  throughout  that 
territory  for  his  extreme  cruelty. 

"  Talking  Deer  will  take  care  of  her,"  was  the 
answer.  "  He  is  to  take  care  of  all  of  them  until 
this  raid  is  over." 

But  little  more  was  said,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the 
unconscious  form  of  the  young  hunter  was  picked 
up  and  borne  through  the  forest  in  the  direction  of 
the  nearest  stream.  As  has  been  said,  water  leaves 
no  trail,  and  for  this  reason  the  redmen  instinctively 
used  the  shallow  stream  for  a  roadway. 

When  Henry  regained  his  senses  he  found  himself 
strapped  to  the  back  of  a  horse  and  moving  slowly 
westward  through  the  forest.  The  wound  on  his 
hand  had  been  allowed  to  bleed  itself  out.  He  felt 
both  weak  and  stiff  and  had  a  dull  ache  in  his  head, 


The  warrior  with  the  torch  held  the  light  aloft.  —  Page  88, 


HOW    HENRY   FARED  91 

where  the  tomahawk  had  landed  and  raised  a  good- 
sized  lump. 

By  a  blaze  on  the  animal's  neck,  Henry  recog- 
nized the  horse  he  rode  as  one  belonging  to  a  pioneer 
living  in  that 'vicinity.  He  was  in  the  company  of 
nine  redmen,  four  of  whom  were  mounted  on  stolen 
horses.  From  this  he  inferred  that  the  Risley  cabin 
was  not  the  only  one  which  had  been  attacked  on 
that  fatal  night. 

He  looked  around,  but  could  see  nothing  of  Mrs. 
Risley  nor  of  any  other  captives.  He  was  alone 
with  the  savage  warriors,  and  what  they  intended 
to  do  with  him  there  was  no  telling.  But  he  had 
good  reasons  for  believing  that  a  horrible  fate  was 
in  store  for  him. 

"  I  must  get  away  if  I  can,"  he  thought.  "  They 
can't  do  any  more  than  shoot  me  if  I  try  to  escape, 
and  even  that  will  be  better  than  to  be  burnt  at  the 
stake." 

The  Indians  now  noticed  that  he  had  recovered 
consciousness,  and  one  of  them  rode  closer  and  said 
sharply : 

"  White  hunter  boy  must  keep  still.  If  yell  will 
strike  him!"  And  he  flourished  his  tomahawk 
threateningly. 

"  Where  are  you  taking  me  ?  "  questioned  Henry, 


92  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

But  the  Indian  would  not  answer  and  only  told  him 
to  keep  quiet. 

It  was  growing  morning  when  the  small  band 
came  to  a  halt,  at  the  bank  of  a  wide  stream  where 
there  was  a  series  of  rapids  among  the  rocks. 
Henry  was  cut  loose  and  ordered  to  dismount. 
Then  he  was  led  to  a  near-by  tree  and  tied  up  once 
more. 

"  Will  you  give  me  a  drink  ?  "  he  asked  of  one 
of  the  Indians,  but  for  answer  the  redman  slapped 
him  sharply  over  the  mouth  and  told  him  to  hold  his 
tongue. 

Suffering  much  from  thirst  and  from  the  wound 
on  his  left  hand,  which  had  now  begun  to  swell, 
Henry  watched  the  Indians  as  they  prepared  an 
early  morning  meal,  for  the  light  of  dawn  was  now 
showing  in  the  east.  A  fire  of  very  dry  wood,  which 
would  give  little  smoke,  was  lighted  and  over  this 
two  of  the  redmen  prepared  some  deer  meat  they 
had  been  carrying.  The  smell  of  the  cooking  veni- 
son was  tantalizing  to  Henry,  but  he  knew  better 
than  to  ask  for  a  portion  of  the  repast.  Once  or 
twice  the  Indians  came  up  to  him  but  only  to  jibe  at 
him  and  poke  him  with  their  guns  or  their  bows, 
while  one  made  a  move  with  his  hunting  knife  as 
if  to  cut  out  the  young  hunter's  heart. 

While  the  Indians  were  busy  eating  Henry  tugged 


HOW    HENRY   FAEED  93 

at  his  bonds  with  all  the  strength  he  could  muster. 
But  he  was  too  weak,  and  the  warriors  had  bound 
the  rawhides  too  firmly,  for  the  youth  to  budge 
them.  He  only  made  his  wound  break  out  afresh, 
and  then  had  to  stop,  well-nigh  exhausted  with  his 
effort. 

"  Getting  away  is  out  of  the  question,"  he  thought, 
and  a  heavy  sigh  escaped  his  lips.  "  They  will  keep 
a  sharp  watch  on  me  until  they  get  back  to  their 
village  and  then  they  will  take  great  delight  in  tor- 
turing me  in  every  way  they  can  think  of.  Oh, 
what  savages  they  are,  every  one  of  them !  " 

Thus  musing,  Henry  watched  the  Indians  eat 
their  meal.  When  they  had  finished  one  warrior 
came  to  him  with  some  of  the  scraps  and  with  a  cup 
full  of  dirty  water. 

"  White  hunter  boy  can  eat,"  said  the  Indian,  and 
untied  one  of  his  hands.  It  was  far  from  an  appetiz- 
ing meal  and  was  decidedly  scant.  But  it  was  better 
than  nothing,  and  not  wishing  to  starve  to  death 
Henry  ate  all  that  was  offered  him  and  drank  the 
water  to  the  last  drop.  Then  his  loose  hand  was 
once  again  fastened  behind  him. 

The  Indians  were  now  holding  a  consultation,  sit- 
ting close  to  the  dying  embers  of  the  fire  and  smok- 
ing their  long-stemmed  pipes.  But  little  of  what 
was  said  reached  Henry's  ears,  yet  he  caught  the 


94  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

words  "  big  feast  "  and  "  burn  at  stake  "  spoken  in 
the  Indian  tongue.  At  this  he  had  to  shudder  in 
spite  of  every  effort  to  control  his  feelings. 

"  I  must  get  away !  "  he  thought.  "  I  must !  I'm 
not  going  to  allow  them  to  burn  me  at  the  stake! 
It's  horrible.  I've  heard  all  about  old  Sol  Harper 
and  Dick  Waterbury,  and  how  they  suffered.  I'd 
rather  be  shot.  They'll— Oh !  " 

His  thoughts  came  to  a  sudden  end,  and  for  the 
instant  he  felt  that  he  must  be  dreaming.  His  eyes 
had  strayed  to  the  bushes  on  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  stream.  A  white  hand  was  raised  warningly 
and  the  bushes  parted  slowly,  showing  the  face  of  his 
old  friend,  Sam  Barringford.  Henry  nodded,  to 
show  that  he  had  seen  the  old  frontiersman.  Then 
the  bushes  closed  again  and  Sam  Barringford  dis- 
appeared. 


CHAPTER  XI 
SAM  BARRINGFORT/S  RUSE 

THE  appearance  of  his  old  frontier  friend  gave 
Henry's  hopes  a  bound  upward.  He  felt  that  he 
could  rely  upon  Sam  Barringford  to  do  his  utmost 
for  him  in  securing  his  release.  He  felt  equally  sure 
that  Barringford  had  been  following  the  band  for 
some  time,  trying  to  gain  a  chance  to  rush  in  and 
cut  his  bonds. 

It  was  true  that  Barringford  numbered  but  one 
against  nine,  and  would  have  stood  small  chance 
against  them  in  an  open  fight,  but  Henry  knew  the 
old  frontiersman  too  well  to  imagine  that  Barring- 
ford  would  thus  expose  himself  to  a  stray  shot  that 
might  kill  him.  His  friend  had  learned  the  value 
of  playing  a  "  waiting  game,"  and  would  do  noth- 
ing rash  unless  the  occasion  actually  demanded  it. 

The  best  part  of  half  an  hour  went  by,  and  still 
the  Indians  remained  around  the  camp-fire,  smoking 
and  discussing  the  situation.  Occasionally  one 
would  glance  toward  Henry  and  perhaps  raise  a 
tomahawk  threateningly,  meaning  thereby  that  an 

95 


96  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

attempt  to  escape  would  be  punishable  by  death. 
To  these  movements  Henry  paid  no  attention. 

The  young  hunter's  ears  were  on  the  alert,  for  he 
half  expected  that  Barringford  might  be  coming  up 
behind  him  to  cut  his  bonds.  At  last  he  heard  his 
name  mentioned  in  a  low,  guarded  tone : 

"Henry!" 

"  Sam,"  he  returned,  without  apparently  mov- 
ing his  lips. 

"  I'm  right  behind,  lad.  Do  as  I  tell  you  and 
gittin'  away  may  come  easy.  I'll  cut  yer  rawhides, 
but  don't  you  attempt  ter  move  till  yer  hear  a  noise 
in  the  woods  an'  the  Injuns  run  fer  the  spot.  Then 
dust  straight  back,  an'  I'll  jine  you  fast  as  I  kin. 
Do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Henry,  as  softly  as  before. 

"  All  right.  Now  tell  me  when  them  measly  crit- 
ters ain't  looking'.  I  can't  see  'em  from  here." 

After  this  there  was  a  few  minutes  of  silence. 
Henry  watched  the  nine  redmen  as  never  before. 
Several  faced  him,  but  now  they  turned  away  for  a 
moment  and  he  communicated  that  fact  to  Sam  Bar- 
ringford. 

Instantly  a  hand  glided  around  the  side  of  the 
tree  and  a  sharp  hunting  knife  slid  along  the  raw- 
hides which  bound  the  youth's  hands  and  feet.  The 
bonds  about  the  tree  were  already  severed. 


SAM  BARRINGFORD'S  RUSE  97 

"  Now  I'm  goin',"  whispered  Barringford. 
"  Don't  run  till  they  ain't  a-noticin'  of  you — unless, 
o'  course,  they  come  straight  at  you." 

As  silently  as  he  had  come  Sam  Barringford  re- 
treated, keeping  the  tree  and  some  brushwood  be- 
tween himself  and  the  enemy.  Once  more  Henry 
was  left  alone,  and  again  many  anxious  minutes 
passed. 

Suddenly  from  a  distance  up  the  stream  came  a 
shot,  followed  by  another,  and  then  a  well-known 
Indian  war-whoop.  The  voice  of  a  white  man,  call- 
ing out  loudly,  was  heard,  followed  by  another  war- 
cry,  and  a  crashing  and  splitting  of  a  tree  branch. 

Throwing  down  their  pipes  all  the  Indians  around 
the  camp-fire  leaped  to  their  feet  and  seized  their 
weapons.  With  one  accord  they  bounded  up  the 
stream  to  learn  what  the  encounter  so  close  at  hand 
could  mean.  The  war-whoop  used  was  their  own. 
Some  of  their  own  tribe  must  be  making  an  attack 
or  must  be  in  danger. 

No  sooner  had  the  Indians  turned  to  leave  him 
than  Henry  dropped  his  bonds  and  leaped  behind 
the  tree.  With  all  possible  speed  he  rushed  straight 
into  the  woods.  As  he  progressed  he  jumped  from 
one  rock  to  another,  where  this  could  be  done,  in 
order  to  leave  as  imperfect  a  trail  as  possible. 

He  felt  that  the  shots,  the  cries  and  the  war- 


98  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

whoops,  coupled  with  the  crashing  of  the  tree 
branch,  were  all  a  part  of  the  ruse  employed  by  Sam 
Barringford  to  make  the  Indians  leave  their  captive, 
and  in  this  he  was  not  mistaken.  The  Indians  had 
gone  off  to  a  man,  and  now,  when  he  felt  safe  for 
the  time  being,  Henry  was  sorry  that  he  had  not 
stopped  long  enough  to  gain  possession  of  his  gun. 

"  I  can't  go  back  now,"  he  muttered.  "  They'll 
return  soon — or  send  one  or  two  back  to  watch  me." 
He  listened  for  a  second.  "  Hullo !  some  of  'em 
are  back  already!  Now'll  they'll  make  it  warm  for 
me,  if  they  can !  " 

He  pushed  on  until  he  heard  a  low  but  clear 
whistle,  not  unlike  the  sound  of  certain  night  birds 
of  that  locality.  He  whistled  in  return  and  soon 
saw  the  form  of  a  man  in  the  distance  waving  an 
arm  for  him  to  come  up. 

"  Fooled  'em  nicely,  didn't  I  ? "  chuckled  Sam 
Barringford.  "  They  lit  out  soon  as  they  heard  thet 
war-whoop,  didn't  they  ?  " 

"  They  did,"  answered  Henry.  "  But  some  of 
'em  are  back,  so  we  mustn't  lose  any  time  getting 
away." 

"  Right  you  are,  lad — 't  won't  do  to  try  to  fool 
'em  too  much — it's  too  much  like  playin'  with  the 
teeth  o'  a  wildcat,  now  they  hev  their  war-paint  on. 


SAM  BARRINGFORD'S  RUSE  99 

O*  course  you  know  the  hull  country's  riz,  don't 
you?" 

"  Yes,  and  Risley's  cabin  has  been  burnt  down 
and  Mrs.  Risley  is  a  captive  I'm  afraid." 

"  I'm  a-feered  fer  your  own  folks,  Henry.  The 
Injuns  is  headed  that  way,  seems  to  me." 

As  they  hurried  on  through  the  woods,  with  ears 
on  the  alert  for  the  possible  appearance  of  the  In- 
dians left  behind  or  of  others,  Henry  told  his  story, 
to  which  the  old  frontiersman  listened  with  close  at- 
tention. In  return  Barring-ford  related  his  own 
doings  during  the  past  forty-eight  hours. 

"  I  was  up  to  Timber  Ridge,  back  o'  Siler's  place, 
lookin'  fer  deer,  when  I  spotted  some  o'  the  Injuns 
makin'  fer  the  old  meetin'  ground.  I  made  up  my 
mind  they  was  up  to  no  good,  and  so  I  followed  'em. 
They  held  a  meeting  with  Little  Horn's  warriors, 
and  one  of  'em  had  a  message  from  thet  rascally 
Jean  Bevoir  who  robbed  yer  uncle  o'  that  trading- 
post  on  the  Kinotah,  and  the  message  said  not  to 
forget  the  Morris  cabin  in  the  raid." 

"Our  cabin!"  burst  out  Henry.  "Then  they 
will  surely  attack  it." 

"  Yes,  and  jest  because  Jean  Bevoir  wants  'em  to, 
Henry.  Thet  rascal  ought  to  be  hung.  He's  wuss 
nor  any  redman,  to  my  way  o'  thinkin'." 


IOO  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  Anyway,  we  can't  get  home  too  quick — at  least 
I  can't,  Sam." 

"  I'm  with  you,  Henry.  Your  folks  are  my  best 
friends.  Besides,  I  want  to  learn  what  has  become 
of  Dave.  You  know  what  a  sight  I  think  o'  him," 
concluded  Barringford. 

They  advanced  with  caution  until  Henry  felt 
compelled  to  rest.  Then  they  sat  down  by  the  edge 
of  a  tiny  stream  and  here  obtained  a  drink,  and  the 
frontiersman  washed  and  bound  up  Henry's 
wounded  hand.  At  last  they  went  on  once  more, 
taking  a  semi-circle  which  brought  them  in  sight 
of  the  Morris  cabin. 

"  Too  late !  "  burst  from  Henry's  lips,  and  his 
heart  sank  within  him.  Against  the  early  morning 
sky  was  a  heavy  cloud  of  smoke  curling  lazily  up- 
ward from  the  ruins  of  the  cabin  and  the  out-build- 
ings. Around  the  ruins  half  a  dozen  redmen  were 
prowling,  on  the  hunt  for  anything  of  value  which 
might  have  escaped  their  notice  during  the  dark- 
ness of  the  night. 

"  Yes,  lad,  we're  too  late,"  responded  Barring- 
ford,  mournfully.  "  I  only  trust  your  folks 
escaped." 

"  Let — let  us  creep  closer  and  see  if  there  are  any 
—any  bodies  lying  around,"  faltered  the  young 
hunter.  He  was  so  agitated  he  could  scarcely  speak. 


SAM  BARRINGFORD'S  RUSE  101 

"  Be  careful  what  you  do,"  was  the  warning. 
"  Follow  me — I  think  I  know  a  safe  lookout  place." 

Barringford  led  the  way,  and  presently  they 
found  themselves  in  a  clump  of  brushwood  not  over 
two  hundred  feet  from  the  cabin.  The  brush  was 
on  a  rise  of  ground,  so  that  they  could  survey  the 
situation  with  ease. 

"  Nothing  in  sight,"  said  Henry,  after  a  long  and 
painful  pause.  "  What  do  you  say  to  that,  Sam?  " 

"  It's  encouragin',  lad.  More'n  likely  your  father 
got  away  with  your  mother  an'  the  others.  I  don't 
see  none  o'  the  hosses  around.  Thet's  a  good  sign, 
too.  I  believe  they  struck  out  fer  Fort  Lawrence  or 
Will's  Creek — most  likely  the  first,  fer  the  trail  to 
Will's  Creek  is  chuck-a-block  with  Injuns." 

Feeling  that  nothing  could  be  gained  by  remain- 
ing in  the  vicinity,  they  started  to  retreat  to  the 
friendly  shelter  of  the  forest.  They  had  hardly 
covered  a  hundred  yards,  when  Henry  gave  a  cry 
of  warning. 

"  An  Indian !     Coming  straight  for  us !  " 

He  was  right,  and  a  moment  later  a  painted  war- 
rior confronted  them.  He,  too,  was  surprised  at 
the  meeting,  but  quick  as  a  flash  raised  the  toma- 
hawk he  carried  to  strike  Barringford  down. 

'Had  the  blow  landed  as  intended  the  frontiers- 
man's skull  would  have  been  split  in  twain.  But  if 


IO2  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

the  Indian  was  quick  Barringford  was  quicker.  He 
leaped  to  one  side  and  in  a  twinkling  had  the  war- 
rior by  the  throat  and  was  bearing  him  backward. 
At  the  same  moment  Henry  advanced. 

"  Never  mind — I've  got  the  consarned  critter !  " 
cried  Barringford,  as  he  held  the  Indian  in  a  grasp 
of  steel.  "  See  if  more  are  a-comin' !  " 

Henry  looked,  but  not  another  redman  was  in 
sight.  The  one  in  Barringford's  grasp  squirmed  and 
struggled  and  drew  up  a  knee  to  plant  it  against  the 
frontiersman's  breast.  But  even  this  did  not  break 
that  deadly  grip,  and  now  the  Indian's  tongue  fairly 
lolled  from  his  wide-open  mouth.  He  clutched  Bar- 
ringford's throat,  but  his  hand  was  thrown  aside  and 
the  wrist  pressed  back  until  it  was  almost  broken. 
Then  the  Indian  gave  a  strange  gulp  and  suddenly 
collapsed  in  a  heap. 

"  Thet  settles  his  account,"  panted  Barringford, 
as  he  staggered  away.  "  An'  he  didn't  git  no  chance 
to  make  any  noise  nuther.  Serves  the  critter  right, 
don't  it  ?  "  And  he  led  the  way  onward  once  more. 

"  Yes,  it  served  him  right,"  answered  Henry,  but 
even  as  he  spoke  he  had  to  shudder,  and  he  won- 
dered if  the  Indian  was  really  dead  or  only  partly 
choked  to  death. 

Having  decided  to  move  in  the  direction  of  Fort 
Lawrence,  Sam  Barringford  led  the  way  by  the  very 


SAM  BARRINGFORD'S  RUSE  103 

route  Joseph  Morris  had  pursued.  Both  he  and 
Henry  were  now  exhausted  by  their  long  walk,  and 
both  would  have  rested  had  it  not  been  that  they 
were  so  anxious  to  know  how  matters  were  going  at 
the  fort.  On  they  stumbled  as  best  they  could. 
Each  was  hungry,  yet  neither  complained  on  that 
score. 

It  was  nearly  noon  when  they  heard  a  number 
of  shots  in  the  distance.  A  fierce  yelling  followed, 
and  the  shooting  was  continued  for  the  best  part 
of  half  an  hour. 

"  The  Indians  have  attacked  the  fort !  "  cried 
Henry.  "  A  big  battle  must  be  going  on !  " 

"  I  reckon  you  are  right,  Henry.  Come,"  and 
Barringford  set  off  at  an  increased  rate  of  speed. 

They  did  not  go  far,  however,  for  only  a  little 
while  later  they  heard  a  murmur  of  voices  ahead. 

"An  Injun  camp,"  whispered  Barringford. 
"  Come,  we'll  go  around,"  and  he  moved  to  the  left. 

But  here  the  way  was  also  blocked  by  Indians. 
Then  they  made  a  wide  detour,  only  to  find  more 
warriors  encamped  between  themselves  and  the  fort. 

"  The  way's  blocked,"  said  the  frontiersman  at 
last.  "  The  critters  have  entirely  surrounded  the 
fort.  We're  out  of  it,  and  it  looks  as  if  we'd  have 
to  stay  out." 


CHAPTER  XII 

DARK   YEAR  OF   THE   WAR 

AT  the  time  this  story  opens  George  Washington 
had  been  on  the  frontier  for  nearly  two  years,  with 
what  was  little  more  than  a  handful  of  rangers  and 
militia,  doing  his  best  to  protect  a  section  of  coun- 
try extending  through  Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and 
Virginia.  His  headquarters  were  at  Winchester, 
where  the  fort  was  in  a  good  state  for  defence,  but 
he  was  frequently  away  from  that  place,  directing 
minor  operations  against  the  Indians,  who,  urged 
by  their  French  allies,  were  continually  attacking 
isolated  settlements. 

At  this  time  the  future  President  of  our  country 
was  still  a  young  man,  strong,  resolute,  and  full  of 
the  fire  of  ambition.  There  was  no  thought  of  in- 
dependence in  those  days.  He  was  a  subject  of  the 
King  of  England,  and  as  a  subject  willing  to  do  his 
utmost  to  sustain  British  authority  in  America.  He 
was  dearly  beloved  by  all  the  soldiers  under  him,  but 
it  must  be  confessed  that  some  of  these  soldiers  were 

104 


DARK  YEAR  OF  THE  WAR         IO5 

not  as  willing  to  remain  in  the  army  as  was 
desirable. 

The  trouble  over  the  soldiers  is  easily  explained. 
In  the  first  place  the  settlers  objected  to  doing  mili- 
tary duty  when  called  upon  to  "  play  second  fiddle  " 
to  the  soldiers  brought  over  from  England,  and  in 
the  second  place  the  pay  was  poor  and  uncertain,  and 
the  pioneers,  much  as  they  wished  to  defend  their 
frontier  and  whip  the  French  and  Indians,  could  ill 
afford  to  neglect  their  farms  and  crops. 

"  I'd  like  to  enlist  again,"  said  one  old  pioneer 
to  Washington,  "  But  I  have  a  wife  and  four  little 
children  at  home,  and  if  I  don't  care  for  them  they'll 
have  nothing  to  eat.  You  know,  sir,  that  I  haven't 
received  a  dollar  of  pay  for  three  months."  This 
explanation  was  typical  of  many,  and  while  Colonel 
Washington  was  sorry  to  have  his  men  desert  him 
thus,  deep  down  in  his  heart  he  could  not  blame 
them  for  wishing  to  provide  for  those  they  dearly 
loved. 

Thus  far  the  conduct  of  the  war  with  France  had 
been  a  series  of  disasters  to  England's  cause,  ex- 
tending over  a  period  of  three  years.  Braddock's 
bitter  defeat,  in  July,  1755,  had  been  followed  by 
Shirley's  abandonment  of  the  plan  to  take  Fort  Ni- 
agara, and  after  a  bitter  battle  at  Lake  George,  Sir 
William  Johnson,  of  whom  we  shall  hear  much 


IO6  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

more  later,  was  forced  to  give  up  his  hope  of  push- 
ing on  to  Crown  Point.  This  closed  the  fighting  for 
the  year,  leaving  the  outlook  for  the  colonies  gloomy 
indeed. 

War  between  France  and  England  was  formally 
declared  in  May,  1756 — just  twenty  years  before 
that  memorable  Revolution  which  separated  the 
United  States  from  England.  The  Earl  of  Loudon 
was  sent  out  to  take  command  of  a  new  expedition 
north,  but  his  work  in  that  territory  was  no  more 
victorious  than  Johnson's  had  been,  and  as  a  con- 
sequence the  French  commander,  General  Montcalm, 
captured  Oswego,  with  all  the  guns  and  supplies  left 
there  the  year  previous  by  Shirley,  and  in  his  defeat 
General  Webb,  with  a  large  portion  of  the  British 
troops,  had  to  fall  back  to  Albany. 

Early  in  the  following  year  the  English  made 
greater  preparations  than  ever  to  bring  the  war  to 
a  satisfactory  close.  Loudon  sailed  from  New  York 
with  six  thousand  men,  and  was  joined  at  Halifax 
by  Admiral  Holborne  with  a  fleet  of  eleven  war- 
ships. The  object  of  the  expedition  was  to  attack 
Louisburg,  but  when  the  English  arrived  in  the 
vicinity  of  that  French  stronghold  they  found  seven- 
teen of  the  enemy's  warships  awaiting  them,  backed 
up  by  heavy  land  fortifications,  and  to  attack  such 


DARK    YEAR   OF   THE    WAR 

a  force  would  have  been  foolhardy;  so  Loudon  re- 
turned to  New  York  much  dispirited. 

In  the  meantime,  Montcalm  was  not  idle.  While 
Loudon  was  proceeding  against  Louisburg  the 
great  French  general  came  down  with  a  strong  forca 
from  Crown  Point  and  attacked  Fort  William 
Henry.  The  fort  was  compelled  to  surrender,  and 
did  so  with  the  understanding  that  the  soldiers  be 
allowed  to  march  out  with  the  honors  of  war.  But 
the  Indians  with  the  French  would  not  agree  to  this, 
and  upon  a  given  signal  they  fell  with  great  fury 
on  the  English,  slaughtering  them  right  and  left, 
butchering  not  only  the  soldiers  but  also  about  a 
hundred  women  and  children  who  had  fled  to  the 
enclosure  for  safety.  The  barracks  were  battered 
down  and  burned,  and  the  cannon,  boats,  and  stores 
carried  away.  For  these  outrageous  proceedings 
Montcalm  was  held  responsible,  but  he  claimed  that 
the  Indians  could  not  be  controlled. 

The  effect  of  so  many  disasters  to  British  arms 
in  other  quarters,  could  leave  but  one  impression  on 
the  minds  of  the  Indians  who  threatened  the  frontier 
which  Washington  was  trying  to  defend.  These 
warriors  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  English 
were  too  weak  to  defend  themselves,  and,  conse- 
quently, they  could  rush  in  and  kill,  burn,  and  loot 


IO8  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

to  suit  themselves.  They  were  well  aware  that  the 
French  still  held  Fort  Duquesne,  and  that  if  the 
English  came  too  far  westward  (in  a  chase  after 
the  redmen, )  the  French  would  rouse  up  in  an  effort 
to  drive  them  back  from  whence  they  had  come. 
More  than  this,  there  were  among  the  Indians  such 
rascally  traders  as  Jean  Bevoir,  and  these  men,  in 
order  to  further  their  own  interests,  told  the  In- 
dians to  go  ahead  and  do  as  they  pleased  against  the 
English,  and  that  the  French  would  never  interfere, 
no  matter  how  barbarous  was  the  warfare  thus  car- 
ried on. 

At  this  time  the  population  of  Pennsylvania, 
Maryland  and  Virginia  was  reckoned  at  about  half 
a  million  souls,  yet  from  such  a  number  Washing- 
ton could  only  obtain  two  thousand  militiamen  and 
rangers,  and,  as  stated  before,  this  number  was 
constantly  decreasing,  as  one  after  another  refused 
to  re-enlist,  for  reasons  already  given.  The  young 
commander  did  all  in  his  power  to  protect  the  nu- 
merous settlements  from  attacks,  but  to  cover  such 
a  wide  expanse  of  territory  was,  under  the  circum- 
stances, impossible.  The  best  that  could  be  done 
was  to  station  parts  of  the  army  at  various  forts  and 
hold  the  soldiers  in  readiness  to  march  forth  in  any 
direction  from  whence  should  come  an  alarm. 

Colonel  Washington  had  been  out  on  a  long  tour 


White  Buffalo,  my  brother,  has  done  well  to  bring-  this 
message  so  quickly."  — Pnye  109. 


DARK  YEAR  OF  THE  WAR         IOQ 

of  inspection,  and  was  just  settling  down  for  a 
much  needed  sleep,  when  an  orderly  entered  and 
told  him  that  an  Indian  messenger  had  arrived  with 
news. 

"Who  is  the  messenger?"  questioned  the  com- 
mander, for  in  those  days  it  was  necessary  to  guard 
against  all  possible  treachery. 

"  An  under  chief  named  White  Buffalo,  sir." 

Washington  knew  White  Buffalo  fairly  well,  and 
at  once  commanded  that  the  chief  be  brought  in. 
This  was  done,  and  the  warrior  delivered  the  mes- 
sage written  by  Captain  Tanner  with  all  the  cere- 
mony the  occasion,  to  the  Indian,  seemed  to  require. 

"  White  Buffalo,  my  brother,  has  done  well  to 
bring  this  message  so  quickly,"  said  Washington. 
"  Fort  Lawrence  needs  help  and  I  shall  give  all  the 
help  in  my  power.  You  know  much  of  the  Indians 
who  are  friendly  to  the  French.  How  soon  will 
they  attack  the  place,  do  you  think?" 

"  That  White  Buffalo  cannot  tell  to  his  brother 
Washington,"  was  the  chief's  answer.  "  They  are 
eager  for  plunder  and  will  hold  off  only  so  long  as 
they  think  they  are  too  weak  to  make  the  attack. 
But  when  they  feel  strong  enough  they  will  rush 
in,  and  if  they  take  the  fort,  White  Buffalo  is  sure 
the  massacre  at  Fort  William  Henry  will  be  re- 
peated." 


IIO  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

A  few  words  more  followed,  and  Washington 
hurried  forth  to  notify  several  of  his  officers  of 
what  was  happening  at  Fort  Lawrence.  A  force  of 
only  thirty-six  men  could  be  spared  from  Fort  Win- 
chester, and  these  were  placed  under  the  command 
of  Lieutenant  Baldwick,  an  old  Indian  fighter.  With 
the  whites  went  nine  Indians,  who,  after  some  little 
urging,  consented  to  act  under  White  Buffalo,  al- 
though they  belonged  to  a  different  tribe.  Wash- 
ington was  greatly  tempted  to  take  command  him- 
self but  felt  that  he  would  soon  be  needed  in  other 
directions. 

The  rangers  chosen  for  this  expedition  were  all 
on  horseback,  and  Lieutenant  Baldwick  started  them 
off  just  as  soon  as  they  could  be  gotten  together,  and 
the  necessary  food  and  ammunition  could  be  dis- 
tributed. The  Indians  were  on  foot,  but  they  were 
all  good  runners,  and  as  the  trail  was  a  rough  one 
for  horses  the  warriors  kept  up  without  great  diffi- 
culty. 

The  expedition  was  yet  within  sight  of  Winches- 
ter when  James  Morris  came  riding  into  the  post, 
having  been  on  a  business  trip  a  mile  further  east- 
ward. Dave's  father  met  Colonel  Washington  at 
the  entrance  to  the  stockade  and  took  the  liberty  to 
ask  what  the  departure  of  the  soldiers  meant. 

"  They  are  on  the  way  to  Fort  Lawrence,"  was 


DARK  YEAR  OF  THE  WAR         III 

the  answer,  and  Washington  told  of  the  message  re- 
ceived and  of  what  White  Buffalo  had  had  to  relate. 

"  That's  bad !  "  ejaculated  James  Morris.  "  Did 
he  say  anything  of  my  folks,  Colonel  ?  " 

"  He  mentioned  your  brother  Joseph  as  being 
with  Captain  Tanner,  but  that  is  all.  I  sincerely 
trust  your  family  are  in  the  fort  and  safe,"  an- 
swered Washington. 

Dave's  father  had  wished  to  see  the  commander 
about  the  purchase  of  a  number  of  horses  needed  by 
the  British  army,  but  now  the  business  was  forgot- 
ten, and  without  delay  the  trader  dashed  off  on  his 
steed  after  Lieutenant  Baldwick's  command.  As 
soon  as  he  gained  the  expedition  he  sought  out  White 
Buffalo  and  asked  concerning  Dave. 

"  He  is  at  the  fort,"  said  the  Indian.  "  And  so 
is  your  brother  Joseph  and  his  wife  and  Rodney  and 
little  Bright-face," — meaning  Nell. 

"And  what  of  Henry?" 

"  He  was  missing — but  he  may  be  at  the  fort 
when  we  get  there."  And  as  well  as  he  was  able 
the  warrior  told  of  what  had  happened  at  Uriah 
Risley's  cabin  and  afterwards. 

Although  the  expedition  moved  on  as  rapidly  as 
possible,  it  was  high  noon  before  half  the  distance 
to  Fort  Lawrence  was  covered.  The  mid-day  meal 
was  eaten  on  the  march,  and  the  only  stop  made  was 


112  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

one  to  water  the  horses.  Two  white  scouts  and  two 
Indians  went  ahead  as  spies,  and  half  an  hour  later 
discovered  the  camp  of  four  Indians,  who  had  with 
them  one  warrior  who  was  suffering  with  a  broken 
leg.  A  skirmish  ensued,  and  two  of  the  Indians, 
including  the  wounded  man,  were  killed  and  the 
others  taken  prisoners.  After  that  the  expedition 
moved  onward  with  greater  vigilance  than  ever. 

It  was  nearly  three  o'clock,  and  the  soldiers  were 
still  a  mile  from  the  fort,  when  one  of  the  advance 
guard  set  up  a  shout.  He  had  caught  sight  of  two 
white  men  creeping  along  the  edge  of  a  ravine  to  the 
north  of  the  trail.  A  halt  was  ordered  and  another 
batch  of  scouts  went  forward  to  learn  who  the 
whites  could  be. 

A  short  game  of  hide-and-seek  now  ensued,  each 
side  not  knowing  whether  the  other  was  a  friend  or 
an  enemy.  But  at  last  there  came  a  yell  of  joy 
from  Sam  Barringford  as  he  swung  his  coon-skin 
cap  in  the  air. 

"  I  know  you,  Dick  Hoggerly !  "  he  shouted,  to 
one  of  the  scouts.  "  Don't  let  'em  shoot  at  us.  I've 
got  Henry  Morris  with  me." 

"  Hullo,  so  it's  you,  Sam,"  was  the  answer.  "  All 
right;  we  ain't  shootin'  no  friends  if  we  kin  help  it." 
And  then  the  word  was  passed  around  and  soon  the 


DARK  YEAR  OF  THE  WAR         113 

two  wanderers  were  made  welcome,  Henry  espe- 
cially so  by  his  Uncle  James. 

The  pair  had  but  little  to  relate  outside  of  what 
is  already  known.  They  told  Lieutenant  Baldwick 
that  the  Indians  surrounded  Fort  Lawrence  com- 
pletely and  that  some  sort  of  an  attack  had  already 
taken  place.  This  was  enough  to  arouse  the  spirit 
of  even  the  most  sluggish,  and  once  again  the  ex- 
pedition moved  through  the  forest,  determined  to 
save  the  fort  and  its  defenders,  if  such  a  thing  were 
possible. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

FIGHTING  OFF  THE  INDIANS 

"  IT  doesn't  look  much  like  an  attack  now." 

It  was  Dave  who  spoke,  as  he  leaned  against  the 
rocks  and  gazed  sharply  out  into  the  forest,  beyond 
the  tiny  stream  of  water  flowing  beside  the  im- 
provised fort. 

"  When  the  redskins  come  they  won't  blow  a 
trumpet,"  replied  Rodney,  grimly.  "  The  more 
vicious  the  attack  the  more  quiet  they'll  go  about  it. 
Isn't  that  so,  father?" 

"  You're  about  right,  my  son,"  returned  Joseph 
Morris.  "  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  the  Indians 
are  much  closer  than  we  think." 

"  If  only  we  knew  where  Henry  is.  and  father," 
said  Dave.  "  Perhaps  the  redskins  have  captured 
them  both." 

"  They  won't  get  your  father  so  easily,  Dave," 
came  from  Joseph  Morris.  "  They  may " 

The  pioneer  broke  off  short  and  suddenly  raised 
his  gun.  He  had  seen  some  war-like  feathers  float- 
ing above  a  fringe  of  brushwood  between  a  number 

114 


FIGHTING   OFF   THE   INDIANS  115 

•of  stately  walnut  trees.  He  took  careful  aim  and 
fired. 

A  yell  rent  the  air  and  in  a  trice  that  cry  was 
echoed  by  half  a  hundred  others,  filling  the  air  with 
a  sudden  noise,  which  no  pen  can  describe.  As 
Dave  said,  it  was  truly  "  a  hair  raiser,"  and  he  felt 
a  quick  chill  creep  down  his  backbone.  That  yell 
told  only  too  well  how  the  Indians  were  aroused, 
and  what  they  would  do  could  they  but  gain  the 
chance. 

The  report  of  Joseph  Morris's  gun  was  followed 
by  the  discharge  of  Rodney's  weapon  and  then  shots 
from  several  others.  Rodney  had  seen  a  warrior 
running  from  one  tree  to  another  and  had  brought 
the  Indian  down  midway  between  the  two.  But 
the  fellow  was  only  wounded  and  he  lost  no  time  in 
crawling  to  cover. 

Spat !  spat !  A  bullet  and  an  arrow  hit  the  rocks 
directly  in  front  of  the  Morrises  and  caused  Dave  to 
dodge  quickly,  although  so  far  there  was  small  dan- 
ger of  being  hit.  Then  came  other  shots  from  both 
sides  and  for  several  minutes  the  air  inside  and  out- 
side the  fort  was  filled  with  smoke. 

"  There's  a  good  number  of  them,  that's  cer- 
tain," observed  Joseph  Morris,  as  he  paused  to 
reload.  "  I  believe  every  Indian  for  a  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  around  has  gathered  here.  Hark ! " 


il6  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

They  listened,  and  from  a  distance  came  other 
yells,  gradually  circling  around  in  the  forest  to  the 
other  side  of  the  fort.  But  this  ruse  did  not  deceive 
those  within. 

"  It's  an  old  dodge,"  observed  Joseph  Morris. 
"  They  want  us  to  look  for  them  on  that  side  while 
they  make  a  dash  on  this.  See,  here  they  come 
now!" 

"  Yes,  an'  thar's  fer  'em !  "  put  in  a  pioneer  stand- 
ing near.  His  aim  was  true  and  a  warrior  went 
down  just  as  he  leaped  out  to  cross  the  stream. 

"  Good  for  you,  Pasney !  "  exclaimed  Joseph 
Morris.  "  Never  saw  a  truer  shot  in  my  life.  You 
took  him  straight  in  the  heart." 

"  Wall,  thet's  wot  I  reckoned  on  doin',"  replied 
Pasney,  coolly.  He  was  an  old  trapper,  and  had 
lived  among  friendly  Indians  for  years.  At  rifle 
practice  he  had  often  won  prizes  for  marksmanship. 

With  four  of  their  warriors  either  killed  or 
wounded,  the  Indians  retreated  for  the  time  being. 
So  far  nobody  in  the  fort  had  been  touched,  con- 
sequently the  spirits  of  all,  even  of  the  women  folks, 
revived. 

"  If  we  keep  this  up,  we'll  soon  discourage  them," 
said  Captain  Tanner.  "  More  than  likely  they'll 
hang  around  until  to-morrow  and  then  rush  off  to 


FIGHTING   OFF   THE   INDIANS  II 7 

loot   what   they   can   and   get   back   to   their   own 
territory." 

"If  they  do  that  we  ought  to  follow  them,"  said 
Dave.  "  They  should  be  taught  a  good  lesson.  Just 
think  of  our  nice  home  being  burnt  to  the  ground 
for  no  reason  at  all.  It's  a  shame!  " 

Many  of  the  women  and  children,  as  well  as  some 
of  the  men,  were  very  tired,  but  sleep  was  out  of  the 
question  for  all  old  enough  to  comprehend  what  was 
taking  place.  Even  little  Nell  came  out  of  a  nap 
with  a  scream  and  clung  closer  than  ever  to  her 
mother's  skirt. 

"  Oh,  mamma,  what  will  they  do  with  us?  "  she 
asked.  "  Will  they  scalp  us  ?  " 

"  Let  us  hope  not,  dear,"  answered  Mrs.  Morris, 
soothingly.  "  I  think  your  papa  and  the  others  can 
keep  them  off." 

Half  an  hour  later  came  another  attack.  It  was 
now  dark,  and  only  a  trained  eye  could  see  what  was 
taking  place  in  the  blackness  of  the  forest  surround- 
ing the  fort.  To  get  a  better  view  Pasney  climbed 
one  of  the  trees  forming  part  of  the  stockade. 

Hardly  had  he  gained  a  favorable  position  than 
he  uttered  a  cry  of  alarm.  Then  came  the  whizzing 
of  an  arrow  through  the  bare  branches  in  front  of 
him  and  his  body  came  down  with  a  thud  just  inside 


Il8  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

the  defence.  Several  rushed  to  him  and  raised  him 
up,  but  it  was  too  late. 

"  Shot  through  the  heart !  "  whispered  Dave,  as 
he  gazed  on  the  body  in  horror.  "  He  got  just  what 
he  gave  that  redskin  a  while  ago."  And  he  turned 
away,  scarcely  able  to  control  his  feelings. 

Again  the  warcry  was  given  and  once  more  the 
Indians  made  a  rush,  this  time  attacking  the  fort 
on  two  sides.  There  was  a  constant  discharge  of 
firearms,  and  arrows  came  freely  into  the  enclosure, 
one  taking  Rodney  through  the  fleshy  part  of  the 
arm  and  another  grazing  Dave's  face. 

"  You  are  hit,  Rodney,"  cried  Dave,  as  he  saw 
his  crippled  cousin  stagger  back. 

"  Reckon  it  ain't  much,"  was  the  answer.  "  But 
it  was  a  close  call,"  and  then  Rodney  went  to  his 
mother,  to  have  the  wound  bound  up. 

The  fight  had  been  waging  for  the  best  part  of  an 
hour  when  those  in  the  fort  saw  that  the  enemy 
were  changing  their  tactics.  Through  the  air  there 
rushed  a  dozen  or  more  arrows  all  carrying  with 
them  trails  of  fire.  They  went  up  like  so  many 
rockets,  to  fall  in  graceful  curves  directly  into  the 
fort.  One  had  a  horn  of  powder  attached  to  it, 
which,  on  touching  the  ground,  exploded  with  great 
violence.  Fire  was  scattered  in  all  directions  and 


FIGHTING   OFF   THE   INDIANS 

for  the  moment  it  looked  as  if  some  of  the  women 
folks  and  children  would  be  burnt  alive. 

Rodney  was  close  to  his  mother  and  little  Nell 
when  the  first  shower  of  burning  arrows  came  down. 
He  saw  his  mother's  skirt  go  up  into  a  blaze  and 
like  a  flash  tore  the  burning  garment  from  her. 
Then  he  brushed  some  sparks  from  little  Nell  and 
himself  and  an  old  woman  standing  by. 

"  They  intend  to  burn  us  alive !  "  was  the  cry, 
and  many  of  the  children  began  to  scream  louder 
than  ever. 

"  Let  the  women  take  water  and  dirt  and  put  out 
the  fire !  "  ordered  Captain  Tanner.  "  Every  man 
is  needed  at  the  stockade.  They  are  getting  ready 
for  another  rush !  " 

Fortunately  all  the  water  possible  had  been 
brought  into  the  fort  and  clothes  were  soaked  in 
this  and  used  for  beating  out  the  flames.  It  was 
hard  work,  and  soon  the  women  were  as  smoke-be- 
grimed as  the  men.  To  save  the  children  all  their 
dresses  were  wet  down  so  that  the  sparks  might  have 
no  effect.  Where  the  burning  arrows  fell  among  the 
baggage,  and  water  was  not  handy,  the  sod  was 
dug  up  with  spades  and  pike  poles  and  thrown  on  as 
a  blanket. 

In  the  meantime  what  Captain  Tanner  had  said 


I2O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

about  another  attack  was  true.  But  this  time  the 
Indians  were  more  cautious  and  they  hardly  ex- 
posed themselves,  while  waiting  for  the  fire  to  aid 
them.  When  they  saw  that  the  blazing  arrows  had 
little  or  no  effect  they  fell  back  once  more,  with  two 
warriors  wounded,  one  mortally. 

Slowly  the  night  wore  away.  The  loss  to  the 
pioneers  had  been  one  man  killed  and  several 
wounded,  although  none  seriously.  One  woman 
had  been  burnt  across  the  neck  and  one  little  boy 
had  had  an  ear  scorched. 

When  day  dawned  the  vigilance  at  the  stockade 
and  the  rocks  was  not  relaxed,  for  all  felt  that  an- 
other attack  might  come  at  any  moment.  There 
was  no  water  in  the  enclosure,  all  on  hand  having 
been  used  in  fighting  fire. 

"  We've  got  to  get  water  somehow,"  said  Joseph 
Morris.  "  I'm  dying  for  a  drink  and  I  reckon  all 
of  you  are  about  the  same." 

"  Oh,  Joseph,  do  not  expose  yourself,"  pleaded 
Mrs.  Morris.  "  More  than  likely  the  Indians 
know  we  want  water  and  they'll  watch  the  brooks 
closely,  to  see  if  they  can't  catch  whoever  tries  to 
get  it." 

This  was  proved  to  be  the  case  a  few  minutes 
later,  when  a  pioneer  named  Raymond  tried  to  get 
a  bucket  of  water.  Hardly  had  he  showed  himself 


FIGHTING   OFF   THE   INDIANS  121 

when  two  arrows  whizzed  in  that  direction,  one  cut- 
ting through  his  coonskin  cap.  Raymond  dropped 
his  bucket  in  a  hurry  and  lost  no  time  in  regaining 
shelter. 

"  I  know  a  way  to  get  water,"  said  Rodney. 
"  Dig  a  hole  down  between  the  rocks  and  then  run 
a  pike  pole  through  that  dirt  bank.  Some  of  the 
water  in  that  brook  will  be  sure  to  flow  in  this  di- 
rection." 

The  suggestion  was  thought  a  good  one  and  sev- 
eral started  to  dig  the  hole  immediately.  It  was 
made  four  feet  deep  and  the  pike  pole  was  jammed 
through  the  soil  at  as  low  a  point  as  possible.  At 
first  no  water  came,  but  presently  a  few  drops 
showed  themselves  and  then  followed  a  stream  the 
size  of  one's  little  finger. 

"  Hurrah !  "  cried  Dave.  "  Rodney's  scheme  is 
all  right.  That  hole  will  keep  the  water  here  on  a 
level  with  that  in  the  stream  and  we'll  have  all  we 
wish."  And  so  it  proved,  much  to  the  satisfaction  of 
all  in  the  fort.  To  be  sure,  the  water  was  rather 
muddy,  but  even  muddy  water  was  much  better  than 
none  and  nobody  complained. 

"  White  Buffalo  ought  to  be  on  his  way  back," 
observed  Joseph  Morris,  as  he  and  the  boys  sat  on 
the  rocks,  eating  the  scant  morning  meal  which 
Captain  Tanner  had  had  dealt  out. 


122  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  Yes,  and  he  ought  to  have  some  of  Colonel 
Washington's  rangers  with  him,"  returned  Dave. 

"  Your  father  will  be  with  'em,"  came  from  Rod- 
ney. "  That  is,  unless  he  struck  out  for  the  house 
instead." 

The  talking  went  on  in  low  voices,  for  all  ears 
were  on  guard,  waiting  for  sounds  from  the  forest. 
Captain  Tanner  had  hoped  to  get  some  word  from 
the  Indians  White  Buffalo  had  left  behind,  but  none 
of  these  showed  themselves. 

An  hour  later  an  alarm  came  from  the  farther  end 
of  the  stockade.  The  Indians  were  gathering  for  a 
solid  rush  upon  that  quarter.  Soon  a  yell  was  heard 
and  again  came  shots  and  arrows. 

"  We  are  in  for  it  now !  "  cried  Captain  Tanner. 
"  Every  man  must  do  his  duty  or  we  are  lost.  They 
are  coming  on  us  a  couple  of  hundred  stronger !  " 

He  was  right,  and  now  the  enemy  advanced 
boldly  as  if  encouraged  by  the  mere  force  of  num- 
bers. Several  carried  notched  limbs  of  trees,  to  be 
used  as  ladders  in  scaling  the  stockade. 

Shots  flew  thick  and  fast  and  inside  of  a  few  min- 
utes two  more  of  the  pioneers  were  wounded  and  a 
woman  was  killed  outright.  The  Indians  suffered 
even  a  greater  loss,  but  continued  to  come  on  until 
more  than  a  score  of  them  were  close  to  the  stock- 
ade. In  the  meantime  several  of  the  number  ran 


FIGHTING   OFF   THE   INDIANS  123 

around  to  the  rocks,  thinking  the  pioneers  had  de- 
serted this  end  of  the  fort. 

Joseph  Morris,  Rodney,  Dave,  and  two  others 
met  those  at  the  rocks  with  a  rapid  volley  which 
speedily  put  three  of  the  warriors  out  of  the  contest. 
But  more  were  coming,  and  in  a  few  minutes  our 
friends  found  themselves  in  what  was  almost  a 
hand-to-hand  encounter,  only  a  few  rough  rocks 
separating  them  from  the  redskins. 

Dave  had  just  fired,  and  was  reloading  with  all 
speed,  when  he  saw  an  arrow  aimed  full  at  his  uncle. 
He  gave  a  shout  of  warning,  but  the  cry  came  too 
late.  Joseph  Morris  was  struck  in  the  breast  and 
went  down  in  a  heap.  He  gave  a  strange  little  groan 
and  then  lay  still. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

RETREAT  OF  THE  PIONEERS 

DAVE'S  shout  of  warning  reached  Rodney's  ears, 
and  the  young  man  turned  in  time  to  see  his  father 
go  down  as  just  described.  He  gave  a  cry  of  horror 
and  then,  with  set  teeth,  discharged  his  gun  straight 
at  the  warrior  who  had  laid  Mr.  Morris  low.  His 
aim  was  true  and  the  Indian  fell  to  rise  no  more. 

The  fall  of  his  uncle  nerved  Dave  to  greater 
effort,  and  as  the  Indians  rushed  over  the  rocks  he, 
with  several  others,  met  them  in  a  short  but  bitter 
hand-to-hand  contest,  in  which  blows  were  freely 
taken  and  delivered.  The  redskins  were  yelling  at 
the  top  of  their  lungs  and  using  their  tomahawks 
with  great  viciousness.  Dave  was  confronted  by 
a  tall  warrior  who  did  his  best  to  split  the  youth's 
head  open  with  his  hatchet,  but  Dave  dodged  and 
the  blow  merely  grazed  his  shoulder.  Then,  before 
the  Indian  could  aim  another  blow  a  bullet  from  the 
rear  cut  short  the  redskin's  career  forever. 

The  forest  was  now  full  of  shouting,  and  shots 
were  being  fired  with  marvelous  rapidity.  Those 

124 


RETREAT   OF   THE   PIONEERS  125 

in  the  fort  could  not  understand  this.  Had  the  In- 
dians been  re-enforced? 

"  If  more  redskins  have  come  up  we  are 
doomed!"  was  the  cry  which  went  the  rounds,  but 
almost  on  top  of  it  came  a  yell  of  joy : 

"The  rangers  have  come!     We  are  saved!" 

It  was  true,  the  command  under  Lieutenant  Bald- 
wick  had  come  up  after  a  long  running  fight  with 
some  Indians  journeying  toward  the  fort.  These 
redskins  had  been  put  to  flight  and  with  them  about 
a  dozen  French  trappers  and  traders  under  Jean 
Bevoir,  one  of  the  trappers  having  been  slain,  along 
with  two  Indians.  Now  the  rangers  were  fighting 
desperately  to  get  to  those  hemmed  in  at  the  fort. 

The  coming  of  the  soldiers  put  new  life  in  the 
pioneers  and  the  battle  broke  forth  afresh.  Struck 
at  from  both  the  front  and  the  rear  the  Indians 
received  a  galling  fire  which  filled  them  with  sudden 
terror. 

In  the  midst  of  the  rangers  were  James  Morris 
and  Sam  Barringford.  Dave's  father  was  cool  and 
determined  and  every  shot  from  his  musket  was 
sent  with  deadly  effect.  Barringford  seemed  to  be 
in  his  element,  and  danced  around  so  rapidly  that 
not  an  Indian  could  draw  a  "  bead  "  upon  him. 

"  Thet  for  ye ! "  he  yelled,  firing  his  gun  at  the 
nearest  warrior.  "An'  how  do  yer  like  thet,  eh?" 


126  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

— hitting  a  second  with  the  butt  of  the  weapon. 
"  I'll  show  ye !  Ain't  I  a  roarin'  painter  when  I'm 
cut  loose!  Cl'ar  the  track  fer  the  bustin',  roarin' 
whirlwind !  "  And  thus  shouting  in  the  style  pecu- 
liar to  the  old-time  trappers  of  that  period  he  rushed 
in,  literally  cutting  a  path  over  the  rocks  and  into  the 
fort  proper.  An  arrow  stuck  through  his  coonskin 
cap  and  his  hunting  jacket  was  ripped  in  a  dozen 
places  by  knives  and  tomahawks,  yet  with  it  all  he 
seemed  to  bear  a  charmed  life  and  laid  low  every 
warrior  who  dared  to  bar  his  progress. 

In  less  than  ten  minutes  after  the  rangers  had 
appeared  and  closed  in  the  Indians  began  to  retreat. 
Seeing  them  thus  on  the  run,  the  pioneers  and  sol- 
diers increased  their  efforts  and  soon  the  warriors 
were  only  too  glad  to  get  back  into  the  forest.  They 
left  the  vicinity  of  the  fort  and  took  up  their  stand 
several  hundred  yards  away,  behind  a  small  hill,  en- 
closed on  two  sides  by  rocks.  It  is  possible  they 
expected  the  rangers  to  follow  them  to  this  point, 
but  for  the  time  being  they  were  not  molested. 

The  reason  for  this  was  easily  explained.  Both 
pioneers  and  rangers  were  utterly  fagged  out — the 
former  by  their  hasty  flights  from  their  homes,  and 
the  vigilance  and  fighting  at  the  fort,  and  the  latter 
because  of  the  forced  ride  from  Winchester,  and 
the  first  battle  in  the  forest  with  Indians  and  French. 


RETREAT   OF   THE   PIONEERS  127 

All  needed  a  rest,  and  the  wounded  demanded  at- 
tention. So  for  the  time  being  the  battle  remained 
a  drawn  one. 

As  soon  as  it  was  made  known  that  the  Indians 
had  retreated,  a  score  of  rangers  who  were  unhurt 
were  set  to  watch  their  movements,  and  then  began 
the  caring  for  the  wounded.  All  told,  it  was  found 
that  six  men,  women  and  children  had  been  killed 
outright  and  that  one  man  was  mortally  hurt.  Of 
the  pioneers  five  were  wounded,  and  of  the  rangers 
three,  and  of  the  killed  two  had  been  scalped. 

"  Dave,  my  son !  "  exclaimed  James  Morris,  as 
he  rushed  up.  "  Are  you  safe  ?  " 

"  Yes,  father,"  was  the  answer.     "  And  you  ?  " 

"  I  have  a  scratch  on  the  leg,  but  it  isn't  much. 
How  are  the  rest?-" 

"  Uncle  Joe  has  been  shot  down.  I  reckon  the 
others  are  all  right." 

"  Joe  shot  down?    Is  he— he " 

"  There  he  is,  over  by  the  rocks.  No,  he  isn't 
dead,  but  I  think  he's  pretty  bad.  He  got  an  arrow 
right  in  the  breast." 

Father  and  son  hurried  to  the  spot,  to  find  Joseph 
Morris  stretched  out  on  a  blanket  and  surrounded 
by  all  of  his  family,  including  Henry,  who  during 
the  advance  of  the  rangers  had  fought  as  bravely 
as  anyone.  The  arrow  had  been  extracted  and  Mrs, 


128  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Morris  was  using  her  utmost  skill  in  binding  up 
the  wound. 

"  What  do  you  think,  James  ? "  she  wailed. 
"Will  he  live?" 

"  While  there  is  life  let  us  hope,  Lucy,"  answered 
the  brother-in-law,  tenderly.  "  Is  he  unconscious?  " 

"Yes,"  put  in  Rodney.  "  I— I'm  afraid  that 
arrow  point  was  poisoned." 

"  Let  me  see  the  arrow." 

It  was  passed  over  and  James  Morris  examined 
it  with  care.  At  this  point  Sam  Barringford  also 
came  up  and  he,  too,  looked  the  arrow  over. 

"  Ain't  no  p'ison  thar,"  said  the  old  frontiers- 
man. "  Thet  tribe  uses  blue  juice  an'  if  thar  war 
p'ison  the  blood  would  turn  greenish.  But  it's  rich 
red,  as  ye  kin  see.  No,  I  allow  as  how  he  ain't 
p'isoned." 

"  I  believe  Sam  tells  the  truth,"  said  James 
Morris. 

"  But  it's  a  fearful  wound,"  said  Dave.  "  I  saw 
the  arrow  strike.  It  went  in  straight." 

All  set  to  work  to  revive  the  unconscious  sufferer 
and  Barringford  insisted  upon  obtaining  some  liquor 
and  forcing  a  few  teaspoonsful  down  the  wounded 
man's  throat.  At  last  they  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  Joseph  Morris  give  a  short  gasp  and  open 
his  eyes  dreamily. 


RETREAT   OF   THE   PIONEERS  1 29 

"  Oh ! "  he  murmured  and  for  a  moment  was  si- 
lent. "  I — I  am  hit !  "  he  went  on. 

"  Be  quiet,  Joseph,"  said  his  wife,  bending  over 
him.  "  Yes,  you  were  hit  in  the  breast  with  an 
arrow.  We  will  do  what  we  can  for  you,  but  you 
mustn't  move,  or  the  wound  will  start  to  bleed 
again." 

"  But  the  Indians—" 

"  The  Indians  have  retreated,"  said  Rodney. 
"  The  rangers  have  come,  and  Uncle  James  is  here, 
too,  and  so  is  Henry." 

"All  safe?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Thank  God !  "  And  then  Joseph  Morris  re- 
lapsed once  more  into  silence,  being  almost  too 
weak  to  breathe  much  less  to  speak. 

Little  Nell  had  been  crying  bitterly,  and  now 
Henry  took  her  in  his  arms  and  did  his  best  to  soothe 
her,  for  he  knew  his  mother  would  not  leave  his 
father's  side. 

"The  bad,  bad  Indians!"  cried  the  little  girl. 
"  Oh,  how  could  they  come  and  shoot  at  us !  And 
last  night  they  tried  to  burn  us  up  with  their  fire 
arrows !  Oh,  it  was  dreadful !  "  And  she  buried 
her  curly  head  in  her  brother's  shoulder. 

The  hours  to  follow  were  gloomy  enough,  and 
ones  which  those  in  the  stockade  never  forgot.  The 


I3O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

man  who  had  been  mortally  wounded  died  shriek- 
ing with  pain,  and  the  sounds  rang  in  the  ears  of 
both  young  and  old,  filling  the  latter  with  new  grief. 
The  dead  were  buried  together  in  one  deep  hole  and 
over  their  last  resting  place  were  rolled  several  heavy 
stones,  that  no  wild  beasts  might  disturb  their  com- 
mon grave.  The  service  at  this  funeral  was  short, 
for  there  was  no  telling  when  the  Indians  might 
make  another  attack. 

Toward  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  word  come 
in  through  the  friendly  Indians  under  White  Buf- 
falo that  the  French  Indians,  as  they  were  called, 
were  preparing  for  some  new  move.  Instantly 
every  available  man  in  the  fort  leaped  for  his  gun 
and  even  some  of  the  women  armed  themselves,  de- 
termined to  fight  to  the  last  rather  than  risk  the 
horrors  of  becoming  captives  of  the  enemy. 

But  the  alarm  proved  a  false  one,  for  the  Indians, 
although  they  shifted  their  camp  to  the  opposite  side 
of  the  fort,  did  nothing  but  exchange  a  few  shots 
with  several  of  the  rangers.  Yet  this  move  kept  the 
pioneers  on  the  alert  all  night,  so  that  little  or  no 
sleep  was  had  by  anyone. 

"  I  must  say  I'm  so  tired  I  can  scarcely  keep  my 
eyes  open,"  said  Henry  to  Dave.  "  If  we  elect  to 
retreat  I  don't  see  how  I'm  going  to  either  ride  or 
walk." 


RETREAT    OF   THE    PIONEERS 

"  Take  a  nap,"  said  Dave.  "  If  another  alarm 
comes  I'll  call  you."  And  Henry  dropped  down 
and  was  in  the  land  of  dreams  almost  on  the  instant. 

On  the  following  morning  a  council  of  war  was 
held  by  Captain  Tanner,  Lieutenant  Baldwick  and 
half  a  dozen  of  the  leading  pioneers,  and  it  was  de- 
cided that  the  best  thing  to  do  would  be  to  retreat 
to  Winchester.  Provisions  were  getting  low  and 
so  was  ammunition,  and  the  lieutenant  had  been 
ordered  not  to  hold  Fort  Lawrence,  but  do  his  best 
to  bring  in  the  settlers  and  families  in  safety. 

"  The  Indians  are  gathering  steadily,"  said  Lieu- 
tenant Baldwick.  "  Every  hour  makes  them 
stronger.  I  think  the  sooner  we  strike  out  the  bet- 
ter it  will  be  for  us."  And  in  this  Captain  Tanner 
and  the  majority  of  the  settlers  agreed. 

The  main  difficulty  which  presented  itself  was 
how  to  care  for  the  wounded.  It  would  be  running 
a  grave  risk  to  move  Joseph  Morris  and  several 
others,  but  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  the  family 
were  told  to  prepare  for  leaving  in  an  hour. 

"  We  will  make  a  litter  between  two  horses,"  said 
James  Morris.  "  Rodney  can  ride  on  one  of  the 
animals  and  lead  them  along  the  smoothest  part  of 
the  trail  he  can  find.  We  will  bind  the  wound  as 
tightly  as  possible,  so  that  the  blood  won't  get  much 
chance  to  start  afresh." 


132  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Mrs.  Morris  wished  to  demur,  fearing  her  hus- 
band might  die  ere  the  journey  was  completed.  But 
she  could  not  remain  behind  alone,  and  so,  with  a 
sinking  heart,  she  prepared  to  move  as  had  been 
ordered. 

The  settlers  were  cautioned  to  leave  the  fort  as 
silently  as  possible  and  to  carry  along  only  that 
which  was  absolutely  necessary.  Before  they  left 
the  rangers  and  some  of  the  Indians  under  White 
Buffalo  went  ahead,  to  make  sure  that  the  trail 
chosen  by  Captain  Tanner  was  clear.  Eight  of  the 
rangers  remained  at  the  fort,  to  give  it  the  appear- 
ance of  still  being  inhabited  and,  in  case  of  attack, 
to  rush  out  and  cover  the  settlers'  rear. 


CHAPTER  XV 

DISAPPEARANCE   OF   LITTLE    NELL 

As  was  natural  Dave  and  Henry  journeyed  side 
by  side.  They  moved  directly  behind  Mrs.  Morris 
and  little  Nell,  who  brought  up  in  the  rear  of  the 
litter  on  which  Joseph  Morris  rested,  and  the  horses 
under  the  control  of  Rodney.  Dave's  father  was 
not  with  the  party,  nor  was  trusty  Sam  Barring- 
ford,  both  having  joined  the  party  of  rangers  who 
formed  the  advance  guard. 

Following  the  instructions  given  them  the 
pioneers  and  their  families  moved  through  the  great 
forest  as  silently  as  possible,  only  the  occasional 
groan  of  a  wounded  one,  or  the  cry  of  some 
little  child  breaking  the  stillness.  The  route  was 
past  the  rocks  bordering  one  of  the  water-courses 
previously  mentioned  and  then  along  what  in  those 
days  was  called  the  Old  Buffalo  Trail, — a  well-beaten 
path  along  which  in  years  gone  by  countless  buffaloes 
had  passed  in  their  migrations  to  the  east  and  return. 
The  buffaloes  were  now  fast  disappearing  from  this 
territory,  as  are  to-day  the  deer,  wolves,  and  other 
wild  animals  which  were  likewise  numerous. 

133 


134  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

It  was  a  trying  time,  for  the  ears  of  all  were 
ever  on  the  alert  to  catch  the  first  sign  of  an  ap- 
proaching enemy.  Onward  went  Dave  and  Henry 
with  their  guns  ready  for  instant  use.  Rodney 
guided  the  horses  with  the  greatest  of  care,  yet  there 
were  many  jolts  to  the  litter  which  more  than  once 
caused  Joseph  Morris  to  utter  a  groan  he  could  not 
suppress. 

It  was  calculated  that  if  nothing  out  of  the 
ordinary  occurred  the  party  would  be  able  to  reach 
Winchester  in  three  days,  but  if  the  Indians  fol- 
lowed them  up  and  attacked  them  the  journey  would 
take  much  longer,  for  they  would  have  to  make  a 
stand  behind  whatever  breastworks  they  could 
manage  to  erect,  and  there  remain  until  the  coast 
was  clear  or  the  enemy  drove  them  forth.  There 
was  also  the  ever-present  possibility  that  the  Indians 
would  wipe  out  the  expedition  entirely,  a  possibility 
that  made  many  of  the  married  men  shudder,  as  they 
thought  of  their  wives  and  defenseless  children. 

"  We  can  consider  ourselves  lucky  if  we  reach 
Winchester  without  any  more  hair-raising,"  ob- 
served Henry,  as  they  trudged  along. 

"  Right  you  are,"  replied  Dave.  "  The  Indians 
seem  worked  up  to  the  last  degree.  They'll  trap 
us  if  they  possibly  can." 

"  There  is  one  thing  in  our  favor,  Dave.    Captain 


DISAPPEARANCE   OF   LITTLE    NELL  1 35 

Tanner  is  as  good  a  scout  as  you'll  find  in  these 
parts,  and  with  such  men  with  him  as  Barringford 
and  your  father  he  won't  fall  into  any  trap  unless 
it's  a  mighty  slick  one." 

"  To  think  that  Jean  Bevoir  should  be  in  this 
neighborhood  with  his  thieving  traders,"  went  on 
Dave,  after  a  pause.  "  I  declare  I  wish  he  had 
fallen  instead  of  one  of  those  Indians  we  brought 
down.  He  isn't  as  good  as  some  of  the  Iroquois,  to 
my  way  of  thinking." 

"  He'll  get  what  he  deserves  one  of  these  days, 
Dave.  He  has  cheated  so  many  redskins  that  some 
of  them  will  lay  for  him  some  night,  and  that  will 
be  the  end  of  him  and  his  band.  But  I  must  admit, 
I  can't  understand  how  any  redskins  can  follow  the 
leadership  of  such  a  rascal,  who  gives  them  liquor 
only  in  order  to  rob  them  of  their  hard-earned 
pelts." 

Two  miles  had  been  covered  when  there  came  a 
shot  from  the  front,  followed  by  three  others.  Im- 
mediately the  pioneers  and  their  families  gathered 
behind  a  semi-circle  of  rocks  and  brush  which  hap- 
pened to  be  near.  Several  Indians  had  shown 
themselves  to  the  scouts,  but  as  soon  as  one  was  shot 
the  others  fled.  The  whole  party  remained  on  guard 
half  an  hour  longer,  but  none  of  the  enemy  re- 
turned, and  the  onward  march  was  resumed. 


MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Late  that  night  Dave  heard  that  two  more  white 
men  had  joined  the  expedition  and  not  long  after 
this  he  caught  sight  of  Uriah  Risley.  He  ran  up 
to  meet  the  Englishman,  and  Henry  did  the  same. 

"My  wife,  where  is  she?"  asked  Uriah  Risley, 
of  Henry.  "Tell  me  quickly!" 

"  I  can't  tell  you,"  answered  Henry. 

"  But  you  were  with  her — so  Dave  told  me." 

"  I  was  with  her.  But  some  Indians  came  and 
attacked  us,  and  I  told  her  to  run  and  hide  in  the 
woods.  Then  the  Indians  came  at  me  and  I  was 
struck  down,  and  that  was  all  I  knew  until  long 
afterward  when  I  found  myself  strapped  to  the  back 
of  a  horse  and  traveling  with  a  band  of  redskins." 
And  Henry  gave  the  particulars  of  the  encounter, 
and  of  how  Sam  Barringford  had  afterward  come 
to  his  rescue. 

"  Do  you  think  my  wife  got  away  into  the 
woods  ?  " 

"  I  really  can't  say.  I  know  she  ran  off  as  well 
as  her  hurt  ankle  would  let  her,  but  it  may  be  that 
some  of  the  Indians  went  after  her.  I  had  my 
hands  so  full  I  couldn't  look,"  concluded  Henry. 

Uriah  Risley  was  pale  and  haggard  and  said  he 
had  not  slept  for  two  nights,  nor  had  he  had  a 
regular  meal  for  forty-eight  hours.  He  had  been 
to  the  vicinity  of  his  burnt  cabin  and  had  followed 


DISAPPEARANCE   OF   LITTLE    NELL  137 

up  Henry's  trail  as  best  he  could  for  several  miles, 
but  nowhere  had  he  found  a  trace  of  his  wife. 

"  I  fear  she  is  either  dead  or  in  the  hands  of  those 
murderous  redskins,"  he  groaned,  his  eyes  growing 
suspiciously  moist.  "  Poor  dear  Caddy !  She  never 
could  get  used  to  this  life  either!  It  was  a  sorry 
day  when  we  didn't  remain  in  England,  or  in  An- 
napolis." And  he  turned  away  to  hide  his  emotion. 
Several  came  and  offered  him  food  and  a  portion 
of  this  he  ate  mechanically.  Sleep,  although  he 
needed  it  badly,  was  out  of  the  question. 

Strange  to  say  no  Indian  attack  occurred  during 
the  following  day,  and  that  night  found  the  expe- 
dition well  on  its  way  to  Winchester.  Some  of  the 
pioneers  were  of  the  opinion  that  the  enemy  had 
retreated  westward,  satisfied  with  the  damage  done 
and  the  booty  obtained,  but  at  this  Sam  Barring- 
ford,  Captain  Tanner,  and  a  number  of  other  old 
frontiersmen  shook  their  heads. 

"  The  Injun's  at  his  worst  when  he's  layin'  low," 
was  the  way  Barringford  expressed  himself. 
"  We've  got  to  keep  our  eyes  peeled  or  fust  thing 
you  know  we'll  all  wake  up  skulped." 

Fortunately  for  the  party  one  of  the  advance 
guard  had  brought  down  a  deer  and  another  had 
bagged  a  number  of  birds  with  some  fine  shot.  The 
birds  were  made  into  a  stew  for  the  sick  and 


138  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

wounded  and  the  venison  was  cut  up  and  divided 
all  around.  The  expedition  was  in  the  midst  of  a 
wide  timber  belt,  at  a  spot  where  there  was  a  small 
clearing.  Here,  in  a  hollow,  a  camp-fire  was  lit 
and  the  meat  cooked  and  stew  made,  and  while  one 
half  of  the  able-bodied  pioneers  and  soldiers  re- 
mained on  guard  the  other  half  had  their  first  full 
meal  since  leaving  the  fort.  Then  the  guard  was 
changed  and  the  other  half  satisfied  the  cravings  of 
the  inner  man,  after  which  sentinels  were  posted 
and  the  camp  settled  down  to  see  if  it  could  not 
obtain  a  much-needed  night's  rest. 

Mrs.  Morris  and  the  others  were  gratified  to  sec 
that  while  Joseph  Morris's  wound  pained  him  not 
a  little  it  did  not  break  out  afresh  and  gave  every 
promise  of  healing  rapidly  when  once  the  sufferer 
should  reach  a  place  where  he  could  have  a  couple 
of  weeks'  quiet.  Before  retiring  with  little  Nell 
the  wife  washed  and  re-bound  the  wound  and  gave 
her  husband  all  the  nourishment  he  cared  to  take. 

Dave  was  on  guard  during  the  first  half  of  the 
night,  with  his  father  on  the  next  post  not  a  hun- 
dred feet  away.  The  night  was  dark  and  a  low 
wind  was  rising  which  betokened  a  storm.  All  else 
was  quiet  and  the  camp-fire  was  allowed  to  burn 
low  until  only  a  few  embers  were  left. 


DISAPPEARANCE   OF   LITTLE   NELL  139 

"  It  looks  as  if  the  Indians  had  really  given  it 
up,"  said  Dave,  as  he  and  his  father  met  on  their 
walks  up  and  down  the  two  posts. 

"  Don't  be  too  sure,"  answered  James  Morris. 
"  At  this  very  minute  they  may  be  preparing  to 
rush  in  and  overwhelm  us.  I  won't  believe  we  are 
safe  until  we  come  in  sight  of  Winchester." 

"  Is  the  fort  there  in  good  shape?  " 

"  Fairly  good,  although  Colonel  Washington  is 
going  to  strengthen  it  all  he  can.  The  trouble  is, 
Washington  is  having  trouble  with  Governor  Din- 
widdie.  The  governor  thinks  he  knows  it  all  and 
won't  give  the  colonel  half  the  soldiers  or  equip- 
ments that  are  needed.  He  doesn't  seem  to  realize 
that  if  Winchester  should  fall  all  the  English  settlers 
would  be  driven  back  over  the  Blue  Ridge  and  would 
lose  everything  they  possess  in  this  locality." 

When  it  came  time  to  turn  in  Dave  was  glad 
enough  to  throw  himself  down  and  go  to  sleep,  with 
nothing  more  than  a  thin  blanket  to  cover  him.  His 
father  lay  beside  him,  with  Joseph  Morris,  Mrs. 
Morris  and  Rodney  and  little  Nell  not  far  off. 

How  long  he  slept  Dave  did  not  know,  'but 
when  he  awoke  it  was  with  a  start  and  a  cough. 
There  was  a  fierce  shouting  and  shooting  going  on 
and  the  forest  seemed  full  of  smoke  and  fire. 


I4O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Hardly  had  he  gained  his  feet  when  an  arrow 
whizzed  past  his  head  burying  itself  in  the  tree 
trunk  behind  him. 

"  The  attack  is  on !  "  came  from  James  Morris, 
who  was  already  up.  "  They  have  fired  the  woods 
on  two  sides  of  the  camp  and  they  are  laying  for 
us  on  the  other  two  sides.  I'm  afraid  it  is  going 
to  be  a  fight  to  the  finish." 

There  was  no  time  to  say  more  for  the  confusion 
on  every  hand  was  great.  The  shouting  and  shoot- 
ing continued,  and  in  the  midst  of  this  Captain 
Tanner  ran  around,  followed  by  Lieutenant  Bald- 
wick,  giving  orders  to  the  men  and  advising  the 
women  and  children  what  to  do.  To  the  uproar 
was  added  the  mad  prancing  around  of  some  of  the 
horses,  who  sniffed  the  smoke,  and  the  screams  of 
the  frightened  children,  some  clinging  to  the  skirts 
of  their  mothers  and  others  running  about  looking 
for  their  parents,  who  had  become  lost  to  them  in 
the  general  mix-up. 

"  Stay  with  your  aunt  and  uncle,  Dave,"  said 
James  Morris.  "  They'll  need  you.  I'll  go  out  with 
the  soldiers,"  and  in  a  second  he  was  bounding  away, 
to  learn  how  bad  the  situation  really  was,  and  what 
might  be  done  to  remedy  it. 

What  happened  during  the  next  hour  seemed  to 
the  boy,  afterward,  more  like  some  horrible  dream 


DISAPPEARANCE   OF   LITTLE   NELL 

than  a  reality.  The  war-whoops  of  the  Indians 
continued  to  ring  out  on  the  night  air,  punctuated 
by  numerous  shots  and  yells  from  the  wounded, 
while  the  fire  in  the  forest  grew  brighter  and 
brighter,  driving  the  sick,  wounded,  and  the  help- 
less before  it.  Rodney  and  the  others  tried  to  get 
Joseph  Morris  back  on  the  litter,  but  before  this 
could  be  done  both  horses  bolted  away  in  the  dark- 
ness, one  upsetting  Mrs.  Morris  and  bruising  her 
shoulder  severely.  Then  Henry  and  Dave  locked 
hands  chair-fashion  and  started  to  carry  the  suf- 
ferer between  them,  only  to  stumble  over  some  tree 
roots  and  go  sprawling  headlong.  In  the  mean- 
time Mrs.  Morris  looked  around  her,  to  discover 
that  little  Nell  was  missing. 

"Nell!  Nell!"  she  screamed.  "Come  here! 
Nell!" 

"  Isn't  she  with  you,  mother  ? "  came  quickly 
from  Rodney. 

"  No.  But  she  was  here  a  moment  ago.  Nell ! 
Nell!" 

No  answer  came  back  to  this  cry,  and  now  both 
Mrs.  Morris  and  Rodney  ran  hither  and  thither  in 
search  of  the  little  girl.  Little  could  be  seen,  for 
the  smoke  was  so  thick  it  fairly  blinded  them. 

As  quickly  as  possible  Dave  and  Henry  arose 
and  picked  up  Mr.  Morris.  The  fall  had  hurt  the 


142  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

sufferer's  wound  and  he  had  to  groan  in  spite  of 
his  efforts  to  choke  back  the  sounds. 

"  Never — mind  m-m — me !  "  he  gasped.  "  Sa — 
save  th — the  others !  "  And  then  he  fainted  dead 
away. 

"  Your  mother  is  calling  for  Nell !  "  cried  Dave. 
"  Here,  Henry,  put  him  on  my  back.  I'll  carry  him 
somehow,  and  then  you  can  go  back  to  her."  And 
after  an  effort  Dave  mastered  his  load  and  staggered 
on,  in  the  direction  already  taken  by  a  number  of 
others.  He  was  now  more  careful  where  he  placed 
his  feet  and  thus  kept  from  going  down  again,  al- 
though the  load  made  him  pant  and  exert  himself 
far  beyond  his  youthful  strength.  On  and  on  he 
went,  over  rocks  and  tearing  through  low  brush- 
wood. An  arrow  went  by  his  shoulder  but  he  paid 
no  attention.  He  heard  more  shots,  and  once  a 
blaze  of  fire  seemed  to  flash  up  almost  in  front  of 
him.  But  he  was  not  struck,  and  ten  minutes  later 
he  felt  that  he  had  in  some  marvelous  manner  left  the 
battle-ground  behind  him.  He  plunged  into  a  hollow 
filled  with  wet  grass  and  went  down  up  to  his 
knees.  Unable  to  carry  his  load  further  he  allowed 
his  uncle's  body  to  slip  down  beside  him,  and  there 
he  rested,  trying  his  best  to  get  back  his  breath  and 
wondering  what  would  happen  next. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

BACK    TO    WINCHESTER 

AT  last  the  battle  seemed  to  be  at  an  end.  Only 
a  few  shots  sounded  out  and  they  came  from  a  dis- 
tance. The  fire  in  the  forest  had  died  down  and, 
thanks  to  an  all-powerful  Providence  it  had  failed 
to  give  the  Indians  the  success  they  had  sought.  It 
was  true  a  number  of  the  pioneers  and  soldiers  had 
been  badly  wounded,  but  none  were  killed,  while 
on  the  other  hand  seven  redskins  had  been  laid  low. 

All  was  in  a  hopeless  confusion,  and  it  was  not 
until  daylight  came  that  Captain  Tanner  and  the 
others  succeeded  in  straightening  matters  out. 
Many  of  the  women  and  children  had  fled  into  the 
forest  and  these  had  to  be  hunted  up,  while  some 
of  the  pioneers  had  followed  the  enemy  on  their 
private  account  and  did  not  return  until  they  felt  the 
Indians  were  sufficiently  beaten  back. 

When  Dave  recovered  from  his  forced  traveling 
his  first  anxiety  was  for  his  uncle,  who  had  fainted 
away  from  a  fresh  loss  of  blood.  As  well  as  he  was 
able,  the  youth  bound  up  the  wound  once  more, 
tearing  off  a  sleeve  of  his  shirt  for  that  purpose. 

143 


144  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

While  he  was  at  work  several  alarms  sounded 
close  to  him,  and  he  held  his  breath,  expecting  to 
be  discovered  at  any  instant.  But  the  Indians 
passed  him  on  both  sides  with  a  speed  that  showed 
him  they  were  now  thinking  only  of  retreat. 

With  the  first  streak  of  daylight  he  looked  around 
him  and  at  a  distance  discovered  two  rangers  on 
horseback.  They  were  rounding  up  the  pioneers 
and  their  families  and  they  readily  consented  to 
assist  him  all  in  their  power. 

"  Reckon  Mr.  Morris  is  in  a  pretty  bad  way," 
said  one  of  the  soldiers.  "  The  knocking  around 
didn't  do  his  wound  no  good." 

"  That's  just  the  trouble,"  answered  Dave.  "  But 
I  did  the  best  I  could  under  the  circumstances.  I 
didn't  want  the  Indians  to  scalp  him." 

"  Oh,  you  did  mighty  well,  lad — mighty  well. 
Come,  I'll  take  him  up  on  my  hoss." 

The  ranger  carried  the  helpless  man  with  care 
and  soon  Dave  and  his  uncle  reached  the  spot  to 
which  all  the  pioneers  were  coming.  As  soon  as 
she  caught  sight  of  them,  Mrs.  Morris  came  running 
forward. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  how  is  he  ?  "  she  questioned. 

"  Not  any  better,  Aunt  Lucy,"  he  responded, 
soberly.  "  I  think  you'll  have  to  keep  him  very 
quiet  after  this." 


BACK   TO    WINCHESTER  145 

"  Did  you  see  anything  of  Nell  ?  " 

"  No.     Is  she  gone?  " 

"  Yes.  Henry  and  your  father  are  out  looking 
for  her." 

"  It's  too  bad !     I  hope  they  find  her  soon." 

Dave  felt  very  weak  and  gladly  partook  of  some 
soup  which  several  of  the  women  in  the  camp  had 
made. 

The  youth  was  just  finishing  the  repast  when 
his  father  and  Henry  came  back,  looking  much  dis- 
heartened. 

"  Did  she  come  back  ? "  questioned  both,  and 
then  as  Mrs.  Morris  shook  her  head,  not  daring 
to  trust  herself  to  speak,  James  Morris  continued: 
"  It's  too  bad !  I  can't  believe  it  possible  that  the 
Indians  carried  her  off." 

"Yes!  yes!  They  must  have  carried  her  off!" 
sobbed  Mrs.  Morris.  "  My  poor  darling  Nell !  Oh, 
what  will  those  wretches  do  with  her !  "  And  she 
burst  into  a  flood  of  tears. 

Rodney  had  just  come  up,  and  all  turned  in  to 
console  her  as  best  they  could.  Yet  they  could  say 
but  little  to  soothe  her  sorely  wounded  heart.  Even 
Dave  found  the  tears  standing  in  his  eyes,  for  he 
loved  little  Nell  as  much  as  if  she  were  his  own 
sister. 

When  it  came  time  to  count  those  who  had  been 


146  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

in  the  expedition  it  was  found  that  two  other  girls 
besides  little  Nell  were  missing — twins  named 
Mary  and  Bertha  Rose,  the  children  of  a  pioneer 
who  lived  fifteen  miles  to  the  north  of  the  Morris 
homestead.  Mrs.  Rose  was  as  grief-stricken  as 
Mrs.  Morris,  and  both  wept  together  when  they 
met. 

"  I  shall  remain  behind  to  see  if  I  can't  find  some 
trace  of  all  the  children,"  said  James  Morris. 

"  And  I'll  do  the  same,"  said  Nelson  Rose.  "  I 
would  rather  give  up  my  life  than  leave  my  two 
girls  in  the  Indians'  power." 

"  Reckon  as  how  I'll  stay  behind  with  ye,"  put 
in  Sam  Barringford.  Although  he  never  admitted 
it,  little  Nell  was  very  dear  to  the  old  frontiersman's 
heart. 

"  White  Buffalo  will  also  look  for  little  Bright- 
face,"  said  the  Indian  chief.  "  But  he  is  much 
afraid  the  French  Indians  have  carried  all  three  of 
the  maidens  off." 

So  it  was  decided,  and  when  the  expedition  moved 
off  the  three  white  men  and  the  Indian  with  his 
followers  were  left  behind.  Captain  Tanner  and 
Lieutenant  Baldwick  were  now  pretty  certain  that 
the  Indians  would  not  make  another  attack  in  a 
hurry,  and  this  was  why  he  readily  consented  to 


BACK   TO   WINCHESTER  147 

spare  them.  Although  he  said  nothing,  Uriah  Ris- 
ley  also  remained  behind,  to  see  if  he  could  not 
learn  something  concerning  his  wife. 

Owing  to  the  condition  of  the  wounded  the  on- 
ward march  to  Winchester  was  now  slower  than 
ever,  and  when  night  came  only  half  the  distance  to 
that  frontier  town  had  been  covered.  But  a  mes- 
senger had  been  sent  ahead  and  now  several  wagons 
came  out  to  carry  in  the  disabled  on  the  following 
day.  This  made  the  remainder  of  the  journey  less 
of  a  hardship  for  Joseph  Morris,  and  while  he  did 
not  improve  neither  did  he  seem  to  grow  worse. 

The  news  of  the  massacre,  as  it  was  called,  had 
spread  in  all  directions,  and  when  the  pioneers 
reached  Winchester  they  found  the  post  alive  with 
many  others  who  had  come  in  from  all  points  of 
the  compass,  some  with  all  of  their  belongings  and 
others  with  nothing  but  the  clothing  on  their  backs. 
As  a  consequence  every  cabin  and  house  was  filled 
to  overflowing,  and  it  was  only  by  good  luck  that 
the  Morrises  obtained  shelter  at  the  cabin  of  an 
intimate  friend  named  Maurice  Gibson.  Gibson 
himself  was  a  trader  like  James  Morris,  and  his 
wife  Abigail  and  Mrs.  Lucy  Morris  had  been  old 
schoolmates. 

Joseph  Morris  was  plaaed  on  a  comfortable  bed 


148  MARCHING  ON    NIAGARA 

and  without  delay  a  surgeon  was  called  to  attend 
him.  The  medical  man  probed  his  wound  and  had 
it  thoroughly  washed,  and  then  left  a  strong  tonic 
as  a  medicine. 

"  I  think  he  will  recover  before  long,"  said  the 
doctor.  "  But  he  must  remain  quiet  until  the  wound 
is  thoroughly  healed.  If  not  fever  may  set  in  and 
then  I  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  consequences." 

"  He  shall  remain  here  as  long  as  he  pleases," 
said  Maurice  Gibson.  "  And  his  family  also; " 
and  so  it  was  settled. 

Of  course  Mrs.  Morris  felt  relieved  to  think  that 
her  husband  would  recover,  but  she  could  not  for- 
get her  little  daughter,  and  as  she  thought  of  Nell 
in  the  hands  of  the  Indians  the  silent  tears  would 
course  down  her  cheeks  in  spite  of  all  she  could  do 
to  stay  them. 

"  It  is  awful,  awful !  "  she  said  to  Dave.  "  Oh, 
I  would  give  my  right  hand  to  know  that  she  was 
safe!" 

"  I'd  give  a  good  deal  myself,  Aunt  Lucy,"  he 
returned.  "  But  keep  up  your  courage.  Father, 
and  Barringford,  and  White  Buffalo  will  do  all  in 
their  power  to  bring  her  back  to  us." 

Two  days  of  anxiety  passed  in  the  town  and  then 
it  was  reported  that  the  majority  of  the  hostile  In- 


BACK   TO   WINCHESTER  149 

dians  had  retreated  in  the  direction  of  Fort  Du- 
quesne,  to  join  the  French  located  at  that  strong- 
hold. Some  of  the  regulars  had  followed  a  portion 
of  the  enemy  and  brought  down  three  braves  at 
what  was  called  Three  Posts.  Among  these  In- 
dians thus  laid  low  was  Crooked  Nose,  a  half 
brother  to  Spotted  Tail,  a  celebrated  chief  of  that 
time. 

"  And  still  no  trace  of  Nell,"  sighed  Mrs.  Morris, 
when  the  news  came  in.  "  Dave,  did  you  hear 
anything  of  your  father  ?  " 

"  Not  a  word,  Aunt  Lucy." 

"  I  hope  he  is  safe." 

"  Oh,  you  can  trust  him  to  take  care  of  himself 
— especially  when  Barringford  and  White  Buffalo 
are  with  him.  I  think  they'll  bring  us  some  cer- 
tain news  when  they  return." 

But  none  of  the  party  did  return,  and  at  the  end 
of  a  week  even  Dave  grew  anxious.  By  this  time 
Joseph  Morris  felt  strong  enough  to  do  a  little  talk- 
ing although  he  was  not  allowed  to  move  further 
than  was  absolutely  necessary. 

Even  though  there  were  no  telegraph  lines  in 
those  days,  it  did  not  take  the  news  long  to  travel 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  Virginia  and 
her  neighboring  states,  and  it  was  felt  on  all  sides 


I5O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

that  that  whole  territory  would  not  be  safe  from 
Indian  and  French  raids  so  long  as  Fort  Duquesne 
remained  in  the  hands  of  the  French. 

"  Give  me  the  authority  and  men  to  march  against 
that  fort  and  take  possession  and  our  frontier  will 
be  at  peace,"  wrote  Colonel  Washington.  "  But  the 
longer  we  delay  the  more  dangerous  will  this  situ- 
ation become  to  us."  These  are  not  his  exact  words 
but  they  are  the  gist  of  numerous  communications 
which  he  addressed  to  those  in  authority  over  him. 

Two  weeks  later  James  Morris  came  in,  pale 
and  careworn,  having  traveled  a  distance  of  several 
hundred  miles  in  half  a  dozen  directions,  on  a  hunt 
for  little  Nell  and  the  Rose  twins. 

"  We  found  traces  of  them,  but  that  is  all,"  he 
said.  "  They  are  undoubtedly  in  the  hands  of  the 
Indians,  who  are  taking  them  either  to  Fort  Du- 
quesne or  else  northward  to  Lake  Erie.  I  left  Mr. 
Rose,  Barringford  and  the  Indians  still  looking 
for  them.  I  was  anxious  to  learn  how  it  was  going 
with  brother  Joseph  and  the  rest  of  you." 

"  But  you  will  go  back — you  won't  give  up  the 
hunt  so  soon  ?  "  pleaded  Mrs.  Morris. 

'''  Yes,  I  will  go  out  again,"  answered  Dave's 
father.  "  Just  as  soon  as  I  can  have  one  square 
meal  and  one  good  night's  sleep." 


BACK   TO    WINCHESTER 

The  meal  was  speedily  forthcoming,  and  the 
trader  went  to  bed  at  seven  that  evening  and  did 
not  awaken  until  noon  of  the  next  day.  Then  he 
declared  that  he  felt  as  if  he  had  been  made  new  all 
over,  and  two  hours  later,  bidding  the  others  good- 
bye, set  off  to  continue  his  search.  It  was  a  long 
while  before  Dave  saw  his  father  again. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

A   NEW    CAMPAIGN 

As  already  told,  affairs  in  the  colonies  looked 
blue  indeed,  and  some  hardy  pioneers  who  had  risked 
their  all  in  making  their  homes  in  this  new  country 
were  afraid  that  ere  long  they  would  be  forced  to 
either  give  in  to  the  Indians  or  come  under  French 
rule.  Three  campaigns  had  been  fought,  and  still 
the  French  were  masters,  and  held  Louisburg, 
Crown  Point,  Ticonderoga,  Frontenac,  and  the  long 
chain  of  posts  from  Niagara  to  the  Ohio  and  thence 
to  the  Mississippi.  The  English  fort  at  Oswego 
had  been  destroyed  and  the  French  had  compelled 
the  Six  Nations,  the  most  powerful  Indian  organiza- 
tion ever  known,  either  to  remain  neutral  or  else 
give  them  aid. 

To  add  to  English  alarm,  the  war  in  Europe  also 
took  a  turn  in  favor  of  the  French.  This  brought 
a  storm  of  protests  upon  the  English  ministry,  and 
George  II.  was  compelled  to  make  a  change.  As  a 
consequence  William  Pitt  was  placed  in  entire  con- 
trol of  foreign  and  colonial  affairs. 

132 


A    NEW    CAMPAIGN  153 

Pitt  was  a  man  of  both  wisdom  and  action,  and 
his  plans  for  a  new  campaign  in  America  aroused 
the  colonies  as  they  had  not  been  aroused  before. 
An  army  of  fifty  thousand  men,  English  regulars 
and  colonial  militia,  was  gathered,  and  it  was  re- 
solved that  a  three-headed  campaign  should  be  in- 
stituted at  once,  one  against  Louisburg,  another 
against  Ticonderoga  and  a  third  against  Fort  Du- 
quesne.  / 

The  first  blow  was  struck  early  in  June,  1758, 
when  the  English  appeared  before  Louisburg  with 
thirty-eight  ships  of  war  and  an  army  of  fourteen 
thousand  men.  There  was  a  vigorous  attack,  and 
something  of  a  siege,  and  late  in  July  the  place 
capitulated,  and  this  fall  also  included  the  capture 
of  the  islands  of  Prince  Edward  and  Cape  Breton. 

The  advance  upon  Ticonderoga  was  not  so  suc- 
cessful, although  a  portion  of  the  troops  under  gal- 
lant Israel  Putnam,  afterwards  so  famous  in  the 
Revolution,  dispersed  some  of  the  French  and  cap- 
tured a  hundred  and  forty-eight  prisoners.  Fol- 
lowing this,  an  attack  was  made  upon  Fort  Fron- 
tenac,  located  where  the  city  of  Kingston,  Canada, 
is  now  situated,  and  here  the  English  laid  the  fort 
in  ruins  and  captured  nine  vessels  carrying  guns 
and  supplies. 

The  people  of  Virginia,  Maryland,  and  Pennsyl- 


154  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

vania  were  anxious  that  the  attack  on  Fort  Duquesne 
be  made  at  once,  but  as  we  already  know,  the 
armies,  especially  such  as  had  to  march  through  the 
wilderness,  moved  very  slowly.  The  command  of 
this  expedition  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  General 
Forbes,  a  gallant  officer  but  one  who  was  far  from 
being  in  proper  health  for  such  an  undertaking. 
This  general  left  Philadelphia  early  in  July  with 
the  main  portion  of  his  command,  and  after  a  hard 
march  reached  Raytown,  ninety  miles  eastward  of 
Fort  Duquesne,  and  now  known  as  Bedford. 

While  General  Forbes  was  thus  moving  westward 
Colonel  Washington,  who  had  been  ordered  to  join 
the  main  command,  gathered  together  all  his  avail- 
able troops  and  moved  northward  from  Winchester 
to  Fort  Cumberland,  called  in  these  pages  by  its, 
then,  common  name  of  Will's  Creek. 

The  spring  had  passed  slowly  to  those  of  the  Mor- 
ris family  located  at  Winchester.  Strange  to  say 
although  Joseph  Morris'  wound  healed  it  seemed 
next  to  impossible  for  the  pioneer  to  get  back  his 
strength,  and  the  most  he  could  do  was  to  walk 
around  the-  rooms  of  the  Gibson  home,  or  around 
the  dooryard,  supported  by  his  wife  or  others. 

"  My  legs  won't  support  me,"  he  said.  "  They 
feel  as  if  they'd  let  me  down  in  a  heap  at  any  m»n- 
ute." 


A   NEW    CAMPAIGN  155 

"  It  is  the  effects  of  the  fever,"  said  Mrs.  Morris. 
"  The  doctor  says  you  will  have  to  take  it  easy  for 
several  months." 

Rodney,  too,  had  suffered  from  the  march  through 
the  forest  and  from  the  fighting  and  was  confined 
more  or  less  to  the  house. 

"  It's  a  shame — and  just  after  I  thought  I  was 
getting  so  strong,"  sighed  the  cripple.  "  Somehow, 
we  seem  to  be  an  ill-fated  family." 

During  all  those  dreary  months  no  direct  word 
had  come  to  them  concerning  little  Nell,  but  through 
White  Buffalo  had  come  a  report  that  a  certain  tribe 
of  Indians  known  as  the  Little  Waters  had  several 
white  girls  in  their  keeping  and  that  one  old  Indian 
chief  had  taken  one  of  the  captives  as  his  daughter, 
he  being  childless. 

"  If  they  take  'em  in  as  their  children  they'll  treat 
'em  putty  civil-like,"  said  Sam  Barringford.  "  But 
I  reckon  you  don't  want  to  lose  little  Nell  even 
so." 

"No!  no!"  said  Mrs.  Morris.  "Oh,  we  must 
get  her  back  somehow !  " 

After  this  news  was  brought  in,  Barringford  and 
Dave's  father  went  north-westward  once  more,  in 
the  hope  of  opening  negotiations  with  the  Indians. 
How  this  trip  would  turn  out  was  still  a  question, 
although  White  Buffalo  declared  that  little  could 


156  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

be  done  so  long  as  the  war  hatchet  remained  unburied 
between  the  English  and  the  French  Indians. 

As  soon  as  the  new  call  came  for  additional  troops 
to  the  colonial  militia,  Dave  signified  his  intention  of 
once  more  entering  the  service  under  his  old  com- 
mander, Colonel  Washington.  About  this  he  did  not 
hesitate  to  see  Washington  personally. 

"  I'll  be  glad  to  have  you  with  us,"  said  Washing- 
ton, after  the  youth  had  explained  matters.  "  I  re- 
member how  you  acted  in  our  other  campaign  against 
Fort  Duquesne,  and  I  haven't  forgotten,  Master 
David,  how  we  shot  the  bear," — this  with  a  twinkle 
in  his  eye.  "  Yes,  join  us  by  all  means  if  you  care 
to  do  so."  And  Dave  signed  the  muster  roll  that 
day, — as  a  colonial  militiaman,  at  a  salary  of  ten- 
pence  a  day,  twopence  to  be  deducted  for  clothing 
and  other  necessaries !  This  was  the  regular  rate  of 
pay,  and  for  those  days  was  considered  quite  fair. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  the  troops  under  Colonel 
Washington  formed  a  motley  collection.  Many  of 
the  best  of  the  pioneers  and  frontiersmen  had  grown 
tired  of  the  delays  in  the  past  and  now  refused  to  re- 
enlist,  fearful  that  they  would  be  called  on  to  do 
nothing  but  wait  around  the  fort,  while  the  summer 
harvests  at  home  demanded  their  attention.  Drum- 
ming up  recruits  proved  the  hardest  kind  of  work,  and 


A   NEW    CAMPAIGN  157 

the  companies  were  made  up  in  some  cases  of  men 
who  knew  not  the  meaning  of  home  life — hardy  trap- 
pers and  traders,  some  industrious  enough,  but  others 
given  to  drink  and  brawling,  and  not  a  few  who  lived 
almost  as  the  Indians  did,  using  the  redmen's  style  of 
dress  and  occasionally  painting  their  faces,  "  jes' 
fer  the  sport  on't,"  as  they  expressed  it.  When  it 
came  to  fighting  these  men  were  like  human  tigers, 
but  in  camp  and  on  the  march  it  was  next  to  impossi- 
ble to  bring  them  under  military  discipline.  Many 
refused  to  carry  rations  as  the  regular  soldiers  did, 
preferring  to  bring  down  game  as  they  needed  it,  and 
if  game  was  not  handy  they  appropriated  a  pig  or  a 
cow  belonging  to  some  settler — thus  bringing  addi- 
tional trouble  on  the  command. 

"  So  you  are  going  with  the  soldiers,"  said  Henry, 
when  Dave  told  him  of  what  he  had  done.  "  Well, 
if  you  go  I  shall  go  too — that  is,  if  mother  will  let 
me." 

Henry  put  in  the  proviso  with  an  anxious  look  on 
his  face,  for  he  knew  how  difficult  would  be  his  task 
of  getting  his  parent's  consent. 

'"No,  no,  Henry!"  cried  Mrs.  Morris.  "With 
your  father  and  Rodney  so  ill,  and  with  Nell  gone, 
how  can  I  spare  you?  " 

"  But,   mother,   somebody  has  got  to  fight  the 


158  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

French,"  insisted  the  son.  "  If  we  don't  fight  them, 
and  whip  them,  how  shall  we  ever  get  back  to  our 
home  ?  I  don't  want  to  give  all  that  up,  do  you  ?  " 

A  long  argument  followed,  and  at  last  Mrs.  Mor- 
ris said  she  would  let  her  son  know  about  it  in  the 
morning. 

White  Buffalo  came  in  that  night  with  news. 
"  The  Little  Waters  have  gone  to  the  setting  sun,  to 
the  French,"  he  said.  "  White  Buffalo  has  been  told 
they  will  remain  there  until  winter  comes  again." 

"To  Fort  Duquesne!"  cried  Dave.  "I'm  glad 
of  it.  Now  if  we  take  that  fort  perhaps  we'll  be  able 
to  rescue  Nell  and  the  Rose  twins." 

This  news  decided  Mrs.  Morris,  and  with  tears 
standing  in  her  eyes  she  told  Henry  he  might  go 
with  Dave  and  Colonel  Washington.  "  And  may 
God  grant  that  you  return  with  Nell  safe  and  sound," 
she  added. 

A  few  days  later  found  the  two  young  soldiers  on 
the  march.  It  was  something  of  a  gala  day  for  Win- 
chester, and  the  post  was  gay  with  flags  and  bunting. 
The  long  drums  rolled  and  the  fifes  piped  up  cheerily 
as  the  command  passed  out  of  the  town  and  on  the 
trail  running  northward  to  Cumberland.  Many 
were  in  the  best  of  spirits,  hoping  that  the  downfall 
of  Fort  Duquesne  would  be  speedily  accomplished. 

The  town  was  scarcely  left  behind  however,  before 


A   NEW    CAMPAIGN  159 

the  music  came  to  an  end,  and  the  command  moved 
on  by  the  route  step — that  is,  every  soldier  stepping 
out  to  suit  himself.  This  was  necessary,  for  the 
way  was  rough,  having  fallen  into  disuse  since  the 
beginning  of  the  troubles  with  the  Indians. 

"  I  heard  a  report  that  we  are  not  to  use  the  old 
Braddock  road  to  Fort  Duquesne,"  said  Henry,  as  he 
trudged  alongside  of  Dave.  "  Colonel  Washington 
advised  using  it,  but  General  Forbes  is  going  to  cut 
a  road  of  his  own." 

"  If  he  does  that  we'll  be  all  fall  and  winter  getting 
to  the  fort,"  answered  Dave.  "  How  foolish  not  to 
use  a  road  already  made." 

"  It's  queer  they  won't  take  Colonel's  Washing- 
ton's advice.  He  knows  this  territory  better  than 
anybody." 

"  There  is  a  good  deal  of  military  jealousy  afloat," 
was  the  answer.  "  English  officers  hate  to  see  a 
colonial  get  ahead  of  them.  They  want  to  head  the 
whole  game." 

The  second  night  out  the  troops  encamped  near  a 
large  brook.  It  was  hot  and  Dave  and  Henry  were 
glad  enough  to  take  a  swim  in  the  stream  as  soon 
as  they  got  the  chance.  They  were  soon  in  the  water 
and  diving  and  sporting  to  their  heart's  content. 
Then  Henry  caught  a  branch  hanging  over  the 
water's  edge  and  pulled  himself  up  into  the  tree. 


I6O  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

"  See  what  a  fine  dive  I  can  take  from  here,"  he 
called  to  his  cousin. 

"  Don't  you  do  it,"  cried  Dave.  "  You  may  go 
too  deep  and  strike  your  head  on  a  rock." 

"  I'll  be  careful,"  was  Henry's  answer;  "  Here 
goes ! " 

With  a  quick  movement  he  leaped  from  one  limb 
to  another.  As  the  second  limb  gave  a  sudden  swish 
Henry  uttered  a  cry  of  alarm.  Then  he  came  tum- 
bling into  the  water  with  a  loud  splash.  After  him 
tumbled  a  wildcat,  snarling  in  rage  at  being  thus 
unceremoniously  disturbed.  The  wildcat  struck 
close  to  where  Dave  was  treading  water  and  on  the 
instant  made  a  leap  for  the  young  soldier's  shoulder. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

WILDCAT  AND  WATER 

DAVE  was  both  startled  and  alarmed  when  the 
wildcat  came  down  almost  on  top  of  his  bare  head, 
and  even  more  frightened  when  the  beast  made  a  leap 
for  his  naked  shoulder.  He  had  had  several  experi- 
ences with  wildcats  and  knew  them  to  be  both  power- 
ful and  bloodthirsty. 

By  instinct  more  than  reason  he  dived  and  went 
down  as  far  as  possible.  As  soon  as  the  water 
closed  over  the  wildcat's  head  it  let  go  its  hold  and 
began  to  swim  for  the  shore. 

Henry  was  directly  in  the  path  of  the  beast  and  in 
a  second  more,  ere  the  young  soldier  had  time  to 
think  of  diving,  the  wildcat  was  on  his  back,  sinking 
its  cruel  nails  deeply  into  his  flesh. 

"  Get  off!  "  screamed  Henry.  "  Get  off!  Help ! 
help!" 

And  then  he  went  down,  not  because  he  thought  of 
doing  so,  but  because  he  could  not  bear  the  weight. 
The  stream  closed  over  him  and  he  went  directly  to 
the  bottom. 


1 62  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

This  time  the  wildcat  did  not  let  go  its  hold.  It 
clung  desperately  and  when  Henry  tried  to  shake 
it  off  it  only  sunk  its  nails  deeper  into  his  flesh.  Me- 
chanically he  started  to  scream,  when  the  water 
rushed  into  his  mouth,  almost  strangling  him  on  the 
spot. 

By  this  time  Dave  had  reached  the  surface,  and 
the  rings  and  bubbles  showed  him  plainly  where 
Henry  and  the  wildcat  had  gone  down.  With  swift 
strokes  he  swam  to  the  river  bank,  just  as  several 
rangers  came  running  to  the  scene. 

"  Did  you  call  for  help?  "  asked  one. 

"  A  wildcat !  "  panted  Dave,  hardly  able  to  speak, 
and  he  pointed  out  into  the  stream.  "  Sa — save  my 
cousin !  " 

"  So  a  cat  has  attacked  him,  eh  ?  "  said  one  of  the 
rangers.  He  raised  his  gun.  "  Don't  see  anything 
of  the  critter."  N 

Just  as  he  finished  speaking  there  was  a  splash  in 
the  water  and  the  head  of  the  wildcat  appeared. 
Then  up  came  Henry,  and  they  saw  that  the  beast 
still  clung  to  the  young  hunter's  back. 

It  was  a  risky  shot  to  take,  for  youth  and  beast 
floundered  around  furiously.  But  something  had 
to  be  done,  and  in  a  second  one  gun-shot  rang  out, 
followed  quickly  by  another.  The  aims  of  both 
rangers  had  been  true,  and  the  wildcat  was  struck 


WILDCAT   AND   WATER  1 63 

in  the  forequarter  and  in  the  head.  With  a  snarl 
and  a  sputter  it  let  go  its  hold  of  Henry  and  splashed 
madly  around  in  the  water. 

No  cry  came  from  Henry,  but  as  soon  as  the 
beast  had  let  go  its  hold  he  sank  beneath  the  surface 
once  more,  too  weak  to  do  anything  toward  saving 
himself. 

"  He'll  be  drowned !  "  muttered  Dave.  "  Save 
him !  "  And  without  waiting  he  plunged  in  the 
river  once  more. 

He  felt  deathly  weak  himself,  but  the  thought 
that  his  cousin  might  be  lost  forever  nerved  him  on. 
With  set  teeth  he  swam  to  the  spot.  Catching  sight 
of  Henry's  arm  as  it  was  thrown  up,  he  grabbed  at 
the  member  and  clung  fast. 

"  Henry,  hold  to  me,"  he  managed  to  say,  but 
his  cousin  paid  no  attention,  for  he  was  more  than 
half  insensible.  Then  Dave  tried  to  raise  him  up, 
but  the  weight  was  more  than  he  could  sustain. 

"  Help  us,  somebody !  "  the  young  hunter  man- 
aged to  call  out,  and  there  followed  a  splash,  as  one 
of  the  rangers  leaped  into  the  river.  Another  shot 
rang  out,  a  finishing  one  for  the  wildcat,  and  the 
carcass  of  the  beast  floated  down  the  river  and  out 
of  sight  among  the  bushes  lining  the  opposite  bank. 

By  the  time  the  ranger  came  up,  Dave  was  nearly 
as  far  gone  as  Henry.  The  old  soldier  was  a  power- 


164  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

ful  fellow  and  easily  brought  both  to  the  bank, 
which  was  only  a  short  distance  off.  Here  Dave 
sank  down  in  a  heap,  while  the  other  soldiers  did 
what  they  could  to  revive  Henry. 

The  report  that  a  wildcat  had  attacked  some 
bathers  quickly  spread  throughout  the  camp  and 
many  flocked  in  that  direction  to  learn  the  particu- 
lars. Both  Dave  and  Henry  were  given  the  best 
of  attention,  and  by  the  following  morning  each 
said  he  was  able  to  resume  his  duties.  But  both 
were  stiff  from  the  treatment  received  from  the 
wild  beast  and  on  Henry's  neck  were  deep  scratches 
which  he  was  destined  to  carry  with  him  to  the 
grave. 

"  After  this  I'm  going  to  be  mighty  particular 
where  I  bathe,"  he  said  to  Dave,  when  on  the  march. 

"  Yes,  and  particular  where  you  dive  from,"  re- 
turned Dave.  "  If  you  see  another  wildcat  on  your 
spring-board  better  let  him  finish  his  nap  without 
disturbing  him." 

The  march  to  Cumberland  was  more  difficult  than 
had  been  anticipated,  and  the  young  soldiers  were 
glad  when  it  came  to  an  end  and  they  found  them- 
selves encamped  just  outside  of  the  fort,  which  both 
had  visited  more  than  once  when  on  a  trip  to  Will's 
Creek.  Soldiers  were  coming  in  from  all  directions, 
and  soon  the  camp  was  full  to  overflowing. 


WILDCAT   AND   WATER  165 

"  Wonder  how  long  we'll  stay  here,"  said  Henry, 
after  they  had  been  at  Cumberland  over  a  week. 
"  I  had  an  idea  we  were  to  march  straight  on  to 
Fort  Duquesne." 

"  There  is  some  trouble  over  that  new  road  to 
the  fort,"  answered  Dave.  "  I  understand  Colonel 
Washington  is  awfully  cut  up  over  it.  He  thinks 
they  ought  to  use  the  old  Braddock  road  and  polish 
up  the  Frenchmen  in  short  order." 

"  It  was  the  delay  that  brought  on  defeat  before, 
that's  certain,  Dave.  It's  a  pity  the  British  generals 
won't  take  Washington's  advice." 

What  Dave  said  about  trouble  over  the  road  was 
true.  The  Braddock  road,  originally  selected  by 
the  Indians,  was  as  good  as  any  to  be  had  or  made, 
yet  despite  all  arguments  against  it,  it  was  decided 
to  cut  a  new  road  through  to  Fort  Duquesne  from 
Raytown.  It  was  true  such  a  road  would  be  a  little 
shorter  than  the  old  road,  but  to  cut  it  would  take 
all  summer  and  to  keep  up  the  campaign  during  the 
winter  would  be  well-nigh  out  of  the  question. 

When  a  part  of  the  colonial  troops,  including  the 
company  to  which  Dave  and  Henry  were  attached, 
reached  Raytown  they  found  the  new  road  already 
started,  with  two  hundred  men  engaged  in  cutting 
down  trees,  removing  big  stones,  and  burning 
brushwood.  This  was  kept  up  week  after  week,  and 


1 66  MARCHING   ON   NIAGARA 

in  the  meantime  the  troops  suffered  greatly  through 
sickness  and  lack  of  proper  food.  Many  of  the 
colonials  grew  disgusted  at  the  slow  progress  of  the 
campaign  and  would  have  gone  home  had  not  the 
military  regulations  forbidden  it. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  this  that  Sam  Barringford 
came  in  and  hunted  up  Henry  and  Dave.  "  Thought 
you'd  like  to  set  eyes  on  me,"  he  said,  on  shaking 
hands.  "  Jes'  got  in  with  Dave's  father.  We  did 
some  tall  hunting  I  kin  tell  ye." 

"And  Nell?"  asked  Henry,  quickly. 

"  She's  a  prisoner  up  to  Fort  Duquesne.  We  got 
thet  putty  straight." 

"Not  of  the  French?" 

"  No,  of  the  Injuns  hangin*  around  thar — the 
Jean  Bevoir  crowd,  as  Dave's  father  calls  'em — a 
bad  lot,  too." 

Barringford  had  decided  to  take  part  in  the  cam- 
paign now  in  progress  and  it  can  well  be  imagined 
that  the  two  young  soldiers  were  right  glad  to  have 
their  trusty  old  friend  with  them  once  more. 

"  It  will  seem  like  old  times,"  said  Dave.  "  If 
only  we  could  move  ahead  to-morrow !  " 

It  was  late  in  October  when  Dave  brought  in 
news.  He  rushed  up  to  where  Henry  and  Barring- 
ford  were  industriously  sewing  up  some  holes  in 
their  jackets. 


WILDCAT   AND    WATER  167 

"  Hurrah,  we  are  to  move  at  last ! "  he  cried. 
"  Major  Grant  is  ordered  ahead  with  eight  hundred 
men,  and  our  company  is  to  go  with  the  body." 

"  Only  eight  hundred,"  returned  Barringford. 
"  Thet  ain't  many.  Kind  o'  a  scoutin'  party,  I 
reckon." 

Yet,  he  too  was  glad  to  make  a  movement  of  any 
kind,  and  prepared  at  once  for  the  departure.  Two 
days  later  the  command  was  on  the  road,  those  left 
behind  wishing  them  the  best  of  success. 

The  English  were  still  many  miles  from  Fort 
Duquesne  when  the  French  scouts  brought  word  to 
their  commander  that  the  enemy  were  approaching. 
Without  waiting  to  be  attacked  the  French  marched 
forth  to  do  the  approaching  English  battle. 

"  The  fight  is  on ! "  cried  Dave,  as  several  shots 
rang  out  from  in  front.  "  We  are  in  for  it  now !  " 

"  Well,  we  came  to  fight,"  answered  Henry. 
"  And  the  sooner  the  battle  is  over  the  better." 

The  real  battle,  however,  did  not  take  place  until 
the  next  day.  Then  the  French  did  their  best  to  sur- 
round the  English,  and  in  a  short  while  the  contest 
waxed  hot  on  all  sides.  Part  of  the  battleground 
was  a  small  opening  and  the  rest  of  the  fighting 
took  place  in  the  forest.  Soon  the  smoke  became  so 
thick  that  but  little  could  be  seen  on  either  side. 

"  Tell  ye  wot,  them  Frenchers  mean  business !  " 


1 68  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

ejaculated  Barringford,  while  re-loading  his  fire- 
arm, which  was  so  hot  he  could  scarcely  hold  it. 
"  We've  lost  a  sight  o'  men  already." 

What  he  said  was  true.  The  loss  had  been  fright- 
ful, and  the  dead  and  dying  lay  on  every  side. 
Moans  and  shrieks  rent  the  air,  in  a  fashion  to  turn 
the  stoutest  heart  sick.  Major  Grant  rushed  around 
heedless  of  danger,  giving  directions  and  doing  all 
he  could  to  encourage  those  under  him. 

"  Don't  retreat !  The  battle  is  ours !  "  he  called 
out.  "  Stand  where  you  are !  "  And  then  his  voice 
was  lost  in  the  rattle  of  musketry  and  the  mad  yell- 
ing of  the  Indians,  who  had  come  up  to  aid  the 
French  and  steal  what  they  could  from  the  English. 

Dave,  Henry  and  Barringford  were  behind  a 
fallen  tree,  blazing  away  as  rapidly  as  possible.  The 
French  were  before  them  and  the  Indians  on  their 
left,  and  for  some  time  it  was  as  if  pandemonium 
had  broken  loose.  Suddenly  Barringford  gave  a 
yell. 

"Duck,  boys,  duck!" 

They  fell  flat  and  not  a  second  too  soon,  for  half 
a  dozen  arrows  whizzed  over  their  heads.  Then  the 
old  frontiersman  leaped  to  his  feet. 

"  I'll  pay  ye  back!  "  he  roared.  "  That  fer  ye,  ye 
sarpints  o'  the  Evil  One !  " 

He  took  a  quick  but  careful  aim  at  the  leader  of 


He  took  a  quick  but  careful  aim  at  the  leader. — Page  168. 


WILDCAT   AND   WATER  1 69 

the  Indians,  who  was  rushing  straight  forward,  with 
tomahawk  lifted.  The  hammer  of  his  flint-lock 
musket  fell.  A  terrific  explosion  followed  and  Bar- 
ringford  was  hurled  flat  while  Dave  and  Henry  were 
also  struck  and  knocked  down.  The  gun  had  ex- 
ploded. 

Then  before  any  of  the  party  could  recover,  the 
Indians  were  upon  them,  shouting  like  demons  and 
flourishing  their  tomahawks  and  their  keen-edged 
hunting  knives. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

DEFEAT   OF  THE  ENGLISH 

THE  explosion  of  the  musket  had  been  so  unex- 
pected that  for  the  moment  Dave  and  Henry  hardly 
knew  what  had  happened.  Dave  felt  something  hit 
him  on  the  bottom  of  his  left  cheek  and  putting  up 
his  hand  withdrew  it  covered  with  blood.  Henry, 
too,  was  hit  by  a  flying  fragment  of  the  gun  barrel 
which  clipped  off  a  lock  of  his  hair.  Poor  Barring- 
ford  lay  like  one  dead. 

Before  Dave  could  recover  the  Indians  were  on 
them,  whooping  as  if  their  very  lives  depended  upon 
it.  One  threw  a  tomahawk  at  Dave,  but  the  aim 
was  poor  and  the  weapon  buried  itself  in  the  log 
which  had  sheltered  our  friends. 

But  just  at  this  moment,  when  all  seemed  lost,  the 
battleground  shifted  and  instantly  thirty  or  forty 
English  red-coats  burst  from  the  woods  directly  be- 
hind the  Indians.  A  volley  rang  out  and  four  of  the 
red-men  pitched  forward,  shot  through  the  back. 
Other  bullets  hit  the  log  behind  which  our  friends 
lay,  but  Dave,  Henry,  and  Barringford  were  not 
touched. 

170 


DEFEAT   OF   THE   ENGLISH 

Attacked  so  unexpectedly  from  a  new  quarter,  the 
Indians  appeared  dazed.  They  attempted  to  turn 
upon  the  English  soldiers,  but  when  two  more  were 
laid  low,  they  fled  to  one  side,  where  there  was  a 
dense  growth  of  walnuts.  The  soldiers  at  once 
made  after  them,  and  another  skirmish  took  place  in 
the  forest. 

"  Are  you  hurt  much,  Sam  ? "  asked  Henry, 
when  he  had  recovered  sufficiently  to  speak. 

"  I — I  reckon  not,"  was  the  gasped-out  answer, 
after  a  long  silence.  Barringford  opened  his  eyes 
and  gazed  ruefully  at  the  gun  stock  which  lay  at 
his  feet.  "  Busted !  Well,  by  gum !  Didn't  think 
Old  Trusty  would  do  it  nohow.  Ain't  ye 
ashamed?  "  And  he  shook  his  head  dolefully.  He 
had  carried  the  firearm  for  many  years,  as  our  old 
readers  know,  and  to  have  it  "  go  back  on  him  " 
like  this  hurt  him  more  than  had  the  explosion. 

"  It  singed  your  beard  pretty  well,"  said  Dave. 
"  You  can  be  thankful  it  didn't  blow  your  face  to 
pieces." 

"  We  must  get  out  of  here!  "  cried  Henry.  "  See, 
the  French  are  coming!  " 

Henry  was  right,  the  French  column  had  sud- 
denly appeared  on  the  brow  of  a  neighboring  hill. 
Those  of  the  English  who  were  in  view  received  a 
galling  fire  and  then  the  enemy  came  forward  with 


172  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

a  rush.  Our  friends  were  glad  enough  to  retreat, 
and  join  the  main  body  of  rangers  once  more. 

Unfortunately  for  the  English,  Major  Grant  had 
divided  his  force  and  now  as  the  French  commander 
came  on  he  ordered  that  the  smaller  of  the  English 
commands  be  surrounded.  This  was  done,  and 
though  Major  Grant  did  his  best  to  bring  his  com- 
mand together  again,  it  was  impossible  to  do  so. 
The  English  became  hopelessly  separated,  and  by 
the  time  the  fighting  came  to  an  end  the  major  and 
a  large  number  of  his  officers  and  men  were  made 
prisoners. 

"  We  are  catching  it  and  no  mistake,"  panted 
Dave,  after  another  stand  had  been  made,  during 
which  Barringford  had  provided  himself  with  an- 
other gun — one  taken  from  the  hands  of  a  dead 
grenadier.  "  The  French  mean  business." 

"  Here  they  come  again !  "  exclaimed  Henry. 
"  Look !  look !  they  seem  to  have  re-enforcements !  " 

Henry  was  right,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that 
the  attack  of  the  French,  with  the  Indians  on  the 
left  flank,  was  a  superb  one.  The  shock  of  the 
two  armies  coming  together  was  terrific,  and  soon 
hand-to-hand  encounters  were  taking  place  in  hun- 
dreds of  places  at  once.  Guns  and  pistols  rattled 
constantly  and  the  keen  frosty  air  of  late  fall  was 
filled  with  smoke.  The  grass  being  wet  with  dew 


DEFEAT   OF   THE   ENGLISH  1 73 

many  slipped  and  fell  and  not  a  few  soldiers  were 
trampled  to  death  by  frightened  horses.  It  was  a 
scene  not  easily  forgotten  and  reminded  Dave 
strongly  of  that  other  battle  when  General  Braddock 
had  suffered  bitter  defeat  and  death. 

And  bitter  defeat  was  again  to  be  the  portion  of 
the  English.  Major  Grant's  force  was  not  strong 
enough  to  resist  the  combined  onslaught  of  French 
and  Indians,  and  at  last  word  came  to  retreat,  and  in 
the  gathering  darkness  the  English  fell  back,  taking 
with  them  a  number  of  their  wounded.  How  many 
of  the  wounded  were  left  on  that  cold  battlefield  to 
die  from  exposure  will  never  be  known.  Snow  was 
now  falling  and  a  wind  came  up  that  chilled  every 
soldier  to  the  bone. 

"  It's  another  Braddock  victory,"  said  Barring- 
ford,  sarcastically,  as  he  limped  painfully  along,  a 
horse  having  stepped  on  the  toes  of  his  left  foot. 
"  Them  reg'lars  don't  understand  fightin'  in  the 
woods  nohow.  Ye  hev  got  to  fight  Injuns  Injun 
fashion,  an'  French  likewise.  'Twon't  do  no  good 
to  set  yerself  up  like  a  target  to  be  shot  at." 

"  We  have  lost  about  three  hundred  men,  killed, 
wounded  and  captured,"  said  Dave.  "  I  wonder 
what  General  Forbes  will  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  I  fancy  he's  too  sick  to  say  much,"  said  Henry. 
He  spoke  thus  for  General  Forbes  had  been  on  a 


174  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

sick  bed  for  several  weeks  and  had  had  to  be  carried 
forward  on  a  litter  whenever  his  command  moved. 

The  news  that  Major  Grant's  command  had  been 
whipped  and  driven  back,  and  the  major  and  many 
of  his  officers  taken  prisoners,  was  quickly  sent  to 
General  Forbes,  and  at  once  a  council  of  war  was 
held.  It  was  decided  that  the  entire  army  should 
be  sent  forward  without  delay,  and  the  soldiers 
moved  onward  as  rapidly  as  the  state  of  the  road 
permitted.  By  the  time  the  re-enforcements  arrived 
the  French  and  Indians  had  retreated  to  Fort  Du- 
quesne,  for  additional  ammunition  and  general  sup- 
plies, and  to  take  care  of  their  wounded  and  pris- 
oners. 

Once  again  Washington  urged  that  a  swift  march 
be  made  on  the  fort.  "  It  is  our  only  chance  of  suc- 
cess," he  said.  "  In  a  few  weeks  winter  will  be  on 
us  and  then  the  campaign  in  this  wilderness  must 
come  to  an  end." 

There  was  no  disputing  his  words,  for  the  snow 
continued  to  fall  and  when  it  did  not  snow  it  rained 
and  the  wind  kept  growing  colder  and  colder  every 
day  until  even  the  most  hardy  of  the  soldiers  began 
to  grumble  over  the  discomforts  of  camp  life.  For- 
ward went  the  whole  army,  toiling  painfully 
through  the  forest,  where  only  an  imperfect  Indian 
trail  led  the  way.  General  Forbes  was  now  weaker 


DEFEAT   OF   THE   ENGLISH  1 75 

than  ever  and  others  urged  him  to  go  back.  But, 
full  of  determination,  he  refused,  and  continued  to 
direct  the  movements  of  his  army  from  his  sick  bed. 
His  devotion  to  duty  was  wonderful  and  something 
well  worthy  of  being  remembered. 

Dave  and  Henry  suffered  with  the  other  soldiers. 
Frequently  when  night  came  they  had  to  rest  in 
clothing  that  was  soaked  through  and  through,  and 
the  one  grain  of  comfort  they  extracted  from  their 
situation  was  the  thought  that  each  day's  march 
brought  them  so  much  nearer  to  the  spot  where  they 
supposed  little  Nell  was  being  kept  a  prisoner. 

"  I  won't  complain  if  only  we  get  her  back,"  said 
Henry.  And  Dave  agreed  heartily. 

It  was  now  the  middle  of  November,  and  winter 
had  begun  to  set  in  in  earnest.  Ice  was  forming  on 
every  pool  and  slow-running  brook  and  snow  storms 
were  frequent,  although  none  of  them  amounted  to 
much.  The  nights  were  the  worst  and  many  a  large 
camp-fire  did  the  soldiers  build  to  keep  themselves 
warm.  An  advance  guard  was  out  constantly,  to 
guard  against  a  surprise,  but  no  French  or  hostile 
Indians  appeared. 

Late  one  afternoon  there  were  a  number  of  shots 
fired  in  the  distance  and  half  an  hour  later  a  small 
van-guard  came  in  bringing  with  them  a  number 
of  French  and  Indian  prisoners.  These  prisoners 


MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

were  closely  questioned  and  from  them  it  was 
learned  that  the  French  and  Indians  at  the  fort  were 
suffering  greatly  from  sickness  and  from  a  lack  of 
supplies, — the  latter  having  failed  to  reach  Fort 
Duquesne  on  account  of  the  English  victories  in  the 
north. 

"  If  you  hurry  you  may  take  the  fort  with  ease," 
said  one  of  the  prisoners,  who  wished  to  curry  favor 
with  his  captors. 

This  news  was  most  encouraging  and  it  was  or- 
dered that  the  main  body  of  soldiers  should  push  on 
again,  leaving  the  artillery  and  supply  wagons  to 
come  up  later.  The  news  placed  Dave  and  Henry 
in  the  best  of  spirits,  and  they  pushed  on  as  quickly 
as  anybody,  with  Barringford  beside  them. 

But  progress  was  slow,  for  there  were  many  hills 
to  cross,  and  on  retreating  the  French  had  left  many 
fallen  trees  in  the  pathway,  and  in  one  spot  was  a 
dangerous  pitfall,  into  which  the  enemy  had  thrown 
several  wolves.  A  couple  of  grenadiers  fell  into 
this  pitfall  and  were  sadly  bitten  by  the  half-starved 
beasts  before  being  rescued. 

At  last  those  in  advance  reckoned  that  they  were 
now  but  one  day's  journey  from  Fort  Duquesne. 
The  ground  looked  familiar  to  Dave  and  presently 
Barringford  pointed  out  the  spot  where  the  young 


DEFEAT   OF   THE   ENGLISH  1 77 

soldier  and  his  father  had  been  re-united  after  the 
battle  under  Braddock. 

Soon  from  a  distance  came  a  hurrahing,  which 
every  instant  increased  in  volume.  "  The  fort  is 
deserted !  The  French  and  Indians  are  retreating !  " 

"  Can  that  be  possible?  "  burst  from  Henry's  lips. 
"  Come,  let  us  find  out !  " 

He  rushed  forward,  and  Dave  and  Barringford 
quickly  followed.  Soon  they  were  in  the  vanguard, 
which  was  scrambling  over  fallen  trees  and  brush- 
wood and  climbing  the  last  hill  which  separated  the 
English  soldiers  from  the  fort.  There  was  a  thick 
smoke  ahead  and  presently  they  saw  a  column  of 
flame  shoot  up,  followed  by  a  dull  explosion. 

"  They  have  fired  the  fort,"  said  Barringford. 
"  Reckon  as  how  they'll  burn  everything  they  can't 
carry." 

By  the  time  the  soldiers  reached  the  vicinity  of 
the  stronghold  the  fire  was  burning  low.  Only  a 
small  portion  of  the  stockade  was  gone,  with  one 
or  two  small  buildings  and  what  had  been  left  of 
the  stores.  An  Indian  was  found  nearby,  suffering 
from  a  broken  leg,  and  he  gave  the  intelligence  that 
the  French  command  had  retreated  down  the  Ohio. 
Some  had  gone  only  a  few  hours  before  and  others 
had  left  three  days  previous. 


MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"And  what  of  the  prisoners  they  had?"  asked 
Henry,  as  soon  as  he  could  get  the  chance. 

"  The  prisoners  were  taken  away  three  days  ago." 
"  Were  there  any  little  girls  among  them  ?  " 
"  Yes,  four  little  maidens.     One  from  the  south 
and  three  from  the  east,  with  two  women  and  forty- 
one  men,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Three  girls !  "  murmured  Henry.  "  One  of 
them  must  have  been  Nell !  And  they  took  them  off 
three  days  ago  ?  Oh,  Dave,  I'm  afraid  we  have  lost 
her  forever ! " 


CHAPTER  XX 

AT  FORT  PITT — RETURN  HOME 

DAVE  could  do  but  little  to  comfort  his  cousin 
and  if  the  truth  be  told  he  felt  almost  as  sad  as 
Henry,  for  little  Nell,  with  her  bright  ways  and 
sweet  disposition,  seemed  more  dear  to  his  heart  now 
than  ever. 

"  It's  certainly  too  bad,  Henry,"  he  said,  after  the 
interview  with  the  Indian  had  come  to  an  end.  "  We 
might  follow  down  the  Ohio,  but  if  they  have  three 
days'  start  there  is  small  hope  of  our  catching  up. 
They'll  think  the  English  soldiers  are  after  them 
and  they'll  push  ahead  just  as  hard  as  possible." 

"  Do  you  think  General  Forbes  or  Colonel  Wash- 
ington will  go  after  them  ?  " 

Dave  shook  his  head. 

"  No,  General  Forbes  is  too  sick  and  winter  is 
now  at  hand.  He  is  certain  to  rest  on  his  laurels." 

So  it  proved.  A  small  detachment  was  sent  down 
the  Ohio,  and  with  this  went  our  young  soldiers  and 
Sam  Barringford.  But  this  detachment  returned 
to  the  fort  three  days  later,  having  captured  but 

179 


ISO  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

three  Indians  and  one  French  trader,  all  of  whom 
were  found  in  a  canoe  too  intoxicated  to  make  good 
their  escape. 

The  trader  thus  taken  was  named  Varlette.  He 
had  once  been  attached  to  Jean  Bevoir's  trading 
post.  Dave  knew  the  man,  having  met  him  when 
out  gunning  with  Barringford. 

From  Varlette  they  gained  the  information  that 
Jean  Bevoir  had  been  at  Fort  Duquesne,  having 
come  in  after  the  raid  upon  the  homes  of  the  Mor- 
rises, Uriah  Risley  and  others.  Some  of  Bevoir's 
bloodthirsty  acts  had  been  discountenanced  by  the 
French  general  in  authority,  and  in  something  of  a 
rage  Bevoir  had  taken  himself  off,  with  his  Indian 
followers  and  their  prisoners. 

"  Now  it  ees  for  him  to  become  von  vite  chief 
of  de  Indians,'"  said  Varlette.  "  Dat  will  suit  heem, 
and  will  bring  heem  in  von  pot  of  money,  for  he  vill 
make  de  vite  peoples  pay  heem  big  money  for  de 
prisoners." 

"  The  contemptible  rascal !  "  cried  Barringford. 
"  Ef  the  rangers  git  holt  o'  him  they'll  hang  him 
higher  nor  the  tail  o'  a  kite,  hear  me !  " 

"  He'll  deserve  hanging,  if  he  misuses  little  Nell 
and  the  others,"  returned  Henry. 

As  soon  as  it  was  possible  to  do  so,  the  fort  was 
put  in  thorough  repair,  and  the  name  was  changed 


AT   FORT   PITT RETURN    HOME  l8l 

to  Fort  Pitt,  in  honor  of  the  prime  minister  of  Eng- 
land. To-day  this  ground  is  covered  by  the  city  of 
Pittsburg,  with  its  gigantic  iron  and  steel  works. 
What  a  mighty  change  from  the  lonely  forest  lands 
of  less  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago!  Then 
called  the  West,  or  the  Western  Country,  Pittsburg 
is  now  considered  in  the  East.  So  has  our  country 
grown. 

The  fall  of  Fort  Duquesne  brought  to  a  close  the 
campaigns  of  1758.  The  taking  of  this  stronghold 
was  hailed  with  delight  by  all  the  settlers  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  colonies,  and  they  hastened  to  re-possess 
themselves  of  the  homesteads  which  they  had  been 
forced  to  abandon  during  the  two  or  three  years 
previous. 

As  soon  as  the  victory  at  Fort  Duquesne  assured 
peace  upon  the  frontier  for  some  time  to  come, 
Washington  retired  from  the  colonial  troops  and 
returned  to  Mount  Vernon,  to  the  large  estate  left 
by  his  brother,  and  which  now  demanded  his  at- 
tention. It  may  be  added  here  that  soon  after  this 
he  married  Mrs.  Custis,  afterward  known  to  all  as 
the  gentle  and  loving  Martha  Washington.  This 
was  Washington's  last  appearance  on  the  scene  of 
battle  during  the  French  and  English  War.  When 
next  he  took  up  the  sword  it  was  for  American 
Independence. 


1 82  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

It  was  not  until  early  spring  that  Dave  and  Henry 
were  released  from  duty  and  marched  with  a  num- 
ber of  the  militia  back  to  Winchester.  Their  com- 
ing was  hailed  with  delight  by  Mrs.  Morris  and  the 
others,  although  all  were  downcast  at  the  news  that 
little  Nell  was  still  missing. 

It  was  found  that  Joseph  Morris  was  doing  nicely 
and  that  Rodney  was  feeling  better  than  ever. 
James  Morris  had  been  out  to  the  homestead  and 
had  already  cut  the  timber  for  another  cabin,  to 
take  the  place  of  that  burned  down. 

"  I  also  rounded  up  the  most  of  our  cattle  and 
have  all  our  horses  and  a  new  lot  of  chickens  and 
pigs,"  said  he.  "  So,  although  we  have  lost  a  good 
deal,  we  are  not  as  bad  off  as  we  might  be.  The 
worst  loss  is  the  furniture  we  brought  here  when  we 
came,  years  ago.  That  came  from  England  and 
Germany  and  can't  be  replaced.  But  I'm  reckoning 
on  getting  a  few  fancy  pieces  for  sister  Lucy  from 
Annapolis,  so  things  will  look  kind  of  homelike  after 
awhile." 

"  Oh,  James,  you  are  very  good ! "  cried  Mrs. 
Morris.  "  But  it  won't  be  home  until  Nell  comes 
back  to  it." 

A  few  weeks  later  found  all  the  Morrises  at  the 
homestead,  if  such  the  spot  can  be  called.  The 
burned  place  had  been  carefully  cleaned  off  by 


AT  FORT   PITT — RETURN    HOME  183 

James  Morris,  and  a  temporary  shelter  had  been 
made  of  a  new  cattle  shed.  Here  the  family  went 
to  live  while  the  men  and  the  boys  began  the  con- 
struction of  the  new  cabin.  Rodney  could  not  do 
such  hard  work  but  kept  himself  busy  with  the  cattle 
and  the  poultry;  and  thus  several  weeks  passed 
swiftly  away. 

Carpenter  work  pleased  Dave  and  he  was  set  at 
work  making  doors  and  window  frames,  and  also  sev- 
eral benches  and  a  table  or  two,  while  the  others  at- 
tended to  the  raising  of  the  cabin  frame  and  the 
roofing  and  side  boarding.  Soon  the  cabin  was  fit 
for  use  and  they  moved  in,  and  then  Mr.  James 
Morris  made  several  trips  to  Winchester  and  one 
to  Annapolis,  taking  Henry  along,  to  buy  the  hun- 
dred and  one  things  which  were  needed  and  which 
had  either  been  burnt  up  or  carried  off  by  the  Indians 
and  their  French  allies.  In  the  meantime  Mrs.  Mor- 
ris busied  herself  in  weaving  a  new  rag  carpet  and 
toweling,  and  in  making  some  necessary  clothing, 
for  to  buy  many  of  these  things  was,  in  those  days, 
out  of  the  question.  Then  Dave  and  Henry  went 
hunting  and  brought  down  several  deer  and  a  num- 
ber of  rabbits  and  foxes,  and  once,  when  out  with 
Sam  Barringford,  all  three  brought  down  a  bear, 
and  these  skins  were  all  properly  tanned  and  then 
used  for  bed  coverings  and  rugs. 


184  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

On  his  return  from  Annapolis  James  Morris 
brought  news  of  a  new  campaign  against  the 
French. 

"  We  are  going  in  for  the  entire  conquest  of 
Canada,"  he  said.  "  Major  General  Amherst  has 
been  put  in  command  of  all  the  British  forces,  and 
the  army  is  to  be  divided  into  three  parts,  one  under 
Wolfe  against  Quebec,  another  under  Amherst 
himself  against  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point,  and 
a  third  under  General  Prideaux,  who  is  to  march 
against  Fort  Niagara," 

"  Hurrah ! "  shouted  Henry,  "  I  hope  we  take 
Niagara.  If  we  do  it  will  cut  the  French  entirely 
off  from  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi,  and  this 
ground  will  be  safer  than  ever." 

"  Is  Fort  Niagara  on  the  Niagara  River?  "  ques- 
tioned Mrs.  Morris. 

"  It's  located  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river, 
just  where  that  stream  flows  into  Lake  Ontario," 
replied  her  husband.  "  I  understand  it's  a  first-class 
stronghold — a  good  sight  better  than  Fort  Du- 
quesne  was.  General  Prideaux  will  have  no  fool 
of  a  task  reducing  it." 

"  I  don't  see  how  he's  going  to  get  there,  unless 
he  starts  from  Fort  Duquesne  and  fights  his  way 
through  the  Indian  lands,"  said  Rodney.  "  If  he 
tries  that  he'll  certainly  have  his  hands  full." 


AT   FORT   PITT — RETURN   HOME  185 

"  No,  he's  not  to  go  that  way,"  was  James 
Morris's  answer.  "  He's  going  up  to  Albany  first 
and  from  there  through  the  Mohawk  valley  to 
Oswego.  At  Oswego,  if  everything  is  favorable, 
he  will  take  his  way  westward  to  Fort  Niagara. 
They  didn't  say  so,  but  I  think  he'll  go  by  water 
from  Oswego  to  Niagara.  If  he  had  the  boats  it 
would  be  the  safest  and  quickest  route." 

"  Is  he  going  to  take  any  rangers  along?  "  ques- 
tioned Dave,  eagerly. 

"  Why,  Dave,  do  you  want  to  become  a  soldier 
again  ?  "  asked  his  father,  turning  to  study  his  son's 
face. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  was  the  prompt  response.  "  I'll  tell 
you  why.  So  long  as  Canada  remains  unconquered 
just  so  long  there  is  going  to  be  trouble  here  and 
elsewhere.  But  once  we  show  the  French  we  are 
masters  in  America  we'll  have  no  further  fuss,  either 
with  them  or  with  the  Indians.  I  go  in  for  settling 
the  matter,  and  doing  it  thoroughly  and  right  away, 
too." 

"  Gallinippers !  "  ejaculated  Barringford,  who 
stood  by,  oiling  up  his  flint-lock  musket.  "  Dave, 
you're  a  reg'lar  lawyer,  hang  me  ef  ye  ain't!  An* 
the  argyment's  right  to  the  p'int,  too.  The  French- 
ers  won't  know  they're  beat  until  we  lick  'em  good 
an'  hard,  an'  I  go  in  f er  doin'  the  lickin'  right  now. 


1 86  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Then,  arfter  it's  done,  we  kin  set  out  an'  plow,  an' 
raise  cattle,  an'  hunt  an'  trap  in  peace, — an'  the  In- 
jun who  wants  to  raise  a  sculp  every  ten  minits  now 
will  sit  on  a  tree  stump  an'  smoke  his  pipe  an'  look 
on,"  and  Barringford  shook  his  head  earnestly. 
"  Ain't  no  ust  to  talk,"  he  went  on.  "  It's  like  dam- 
ming a  stream — you  dam  it  about  half  tight  an'  the 
fust  lively  rain  will  break  the  dam  to  bits;  but  you 
dam  it  good  an'  hard  an'  it  will  stick,  no  matter 
how  hard  it  rains  and  by-an'-by  the  water  will  find 
out  it's  got  to  go  a  new  way — an'  the  French  an' 
Injuns  will  find  they've  got  to  leave  the  English 
alone.  I  ain't  much  on  eddication,  but  I  kin  figger 
thet  out,  an'  so  kin  any  man  whose  head  is  level;  " 
and  Barringford  resumed  his  gun  oiling. 

James  Morris  had  much  to  tell  that  night — of  his 
many  purchases,  and  of  the  war  talk  he  had  heard 
at  Annapolis  and  other  cities  he  had  visited.  He, 
too,  was  interested  in  the  expedition  against  Fort 
Niagara,  for  he  felt  that  if  the  French  power  was 
broken  in  this  direction  he  would  be  able  to  re- 
turn to  his  trading  post  on  the  Kinotah  without 
much  fear  of  molestation  from  either  French  or 
Indians. 

It  was  late  that  night  when  there  came  a  sudden 
thumping  on  the  cabin  door.  All  sprang  to  their 
feet  in  alarm,  and  each  of  the  men  and  the  boys 


AT   FORT   PITT — RETURN    HOME  187 

reached  for  his  firearm,  which  they  were  in  the  habit 
of  having  close  at  hand. 

"  Who  is  there?  "  demanded  James  Morris. 

"  It  is  I — Uriah  Risley,"  came  in  the  well-known 
voice  of  the  Englishman.  "  Let  me  in.  I've  good 
news." 

At  once  the  cabin  door  was  unbarred  and  flung 
back.  All  crowded  forward,  to  behold  Uriah  Risley 
outside,  on  horseback.  Beside  him,  also  on  horse- 
back, was  his  wife,  pale  and  thin,  a  mere  shadow  of 
her  former  self,  but  still  able  to  ride  alone. 

"  Well,  I  declare,  Caddy  Risley! "  screamed  Mrs. 
Morris,  and  ran  out  to  greet  the  woman.  "  Is  it 
really  you  or  your  ghost  ?  " 

"  Tis  really  me,"  was  the  answer,  "  although  I 
sometimes  feel  like  a  ghost,  I'm  that  thin." 

"  But  mercy  on  us !  Where  have  you  been — with 
the  Indians?" 

"  With  them  and  with  the  French.  I  was  with 
the  Indians  first — for  many  weeks — and  then  some 
French  soldiers  rescued  me.  They  turned  me  over 
to  some  traders  just  before  a  battle  with  the  Eng- 
lish, and  then  the  Indians  and  some  French  under 
Jean  Bevoir  got  hold  of  me.  They  took  me  up 
through  the  Mohawk  valley  to  Lake  Ontario,  and 
there  I  met  a  lot  of  other  prisoners,  your  Nell  with 
them." 


1 88  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

"  Nell !  "  the  name  came  from  several  lips  simul- 
taneously. 

"  Yes,  Nell  and  the  Rose  twins.  They  were  with 
some  Indians  who  are  under  Bevoir's  thumb." 

"  And  what  of  Nell  now  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Morris 
quickly. 

"  I  think  she  is  still  with  the  Indians.  A  French 
soldier  came  along  one  day  and  carried  me  off  in  a 
canoe.  He  wanted  to  marry  me,  but  I  told  him  I  was 
already  married  and  then  he  set  me  ashore  in  the  wil- 
derness. I  tramped  for  miles  and  miles,  until  I  was 
so  weary  I  could  scarcely  stand  and  I  was  almost 
dying  of  starvation,  when  I  fell  in  with  some  Ger- 
man settlers.  They  took  me  to  Fort  Stanwix  and 
from  there  I  was  taken  to  Albany,  and  finally  made 
my  way  to  Philadelphia,  and  then  came  on  here. 
Uriah  and  I  met  at  Winchester." 

"  Yes,  and  I  nearly  dropped  dead  from  joy," 
put  in  the  Englishman.  "  It  was  like  getting  her 
back  from  the  grave.  I  could  not  at  first  believe  my 
eyes.  But  it's  really  and  truly  my  good  wife,  and 
I  pray  God  we  may  never  be  separated  again,"  con- 
cluded Uriah  Risley,  reverently. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  ARMY 

ONCE  inside  the  cabin,  Mrs.  Risley  related  her 
story  in  detail,  to  which  the  others  paid  the  closest 
attention.  Her  trials  had  been  great,  and  the  quick 
tears  of  sympathy  coursed  down  Mrs.  Morris's 
cheeks  as  she  listened,  and  the  others  were  also 
affected. 

"  It  was  enough  to  kill  you,"  said  Mrs.  Morris, 
at  the  conclusion.  "  But  now  you  are  back,  safe 
and  sound,  we'll  do  our  best  by  you.  You  can  stay 
here  until  your  husband  builds  another  cabin  and 
gets  everything  else  into  proper  shape  for  living  on 
your  land."  And  so  it  was  settled. 

When  Dave  and  Henry  retired  once  more  it  was 
not  to  sleep  but  to  talk  in  an  undertone,  the  subject 
of  the  conversation  being  little  Nell  and  the  twins 
with  her. 

"  I'm  going  to  do  what  I  can  to  rescue  her,"  de- 
clared Henry.  "  It  makes  my  blood  boil  to  think 
of  her  being  among  those  dirty  redskins  and 
French." 

189 


MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  I  believe  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  join  the 
army  under  General  Prideaux,"  declared  Dave. 
"  His  force  will  most  likely  go  right  through  the 
Mohawk  valley  to  Lake  Ontario  and  then  along  the 
lake  to  Fort  Niagara — just  the  territory  where  those 
Indians  and  French  must  be." 

"  I've  got  another  idea,"  said  Henry,  after  a 
thoughtful  pause.  "  I  got  the  news  through  White 
Buffalo.  General  Johnson  has  been  commissioned 
to  stir  up  the  Indians  in  the  Mohawk  valley  and  get 
them  to  join  in  the  attack  on  Fort  Niagara.  White 
Buffalo  and  his  followers  are  going  to  join  John- 
son's force.  Why  not  go  with  the  white  men  in  this 
crowd?  We'll  be  sure  to  hear  more  about  those 
Indians  and  the  French  traders  in  that  way  than  if 
we  went  with  the  regular  army." 

"  But  to  train  with  redskins,  Henry !  " 

"  We  needn't  train  with  'em.  There  will  be  at 
least  a  dozen  white  men  with  the  crowd  and  we  can 
go  with  them.  I  once  met  General  Johnson.  He's 
a  big-hearted  Irishman,  full  of  hard,  common  sense, 
and  I  know  we  could  get  along  with  him.  And 
when  he  heard  our  story  he  might  put  himself  out 
to  help  us." 

So  the  youths  talked  on  until  at  last  they  fell 
asleep — to  dream  of  fierce  fights  with  the  French 
and  Indians  and  daring  rescues  of  little  Nell.  But 


these  were  only  dreams.  Little  did  they  realize  how 
many  real  difficulties  and  perils  still  awaited  them. 

In  the  morning  Dave  insisted  upon  talking  the 
matter  over  with  Sam  Barringford.  They  found 
the  old  hunter  ready  enough  to  listen  to  what  they 
had  to  say. 

"  I'm  with  ye ! "  he  exclaimed,  after  they  had 
finished.  "  It  ain't  no  half  bad  plan  nuther.  I  know 
Sir  William  Johnson  like  a  book — fact  is,  I  know 
him  a  heap  sight  better  nor  any  book.  As  ye  say, 
he's  whole-souled  and  chock  full  of  common  sense. 
The  Injuns  love  him  as  they  love  few  white  men — 
an'  all  because  he's  treated  'em  fa'r  and  squar*. 
Why  he's  done  more  fer  the  English  government 
nor  any  dozen  Indian  Commissioners  put  together. 
He  knows  jest  how  to  handle  'em,  an'  he  makes 
friends  o'  foes  almost  afore  ye  can  turn  a  hand. 
Yes,  let  us  go  to  him  by  all  means  and  I'll  warrant 
when  ye  tell  him  the  whole  story  he'll  set  some 
Injuns  out  to  find  little  Nell  an'  them  Rose  twins." 

That  afternoon  the  subject  was  brought  to  the 
attention  of  the  whole  family.  Mrs.  Morris  did  not 
know  whether  to  be  glad  or  sorry,  but  in  the  end 
she  told  the  boys  to  go,  but  be  careful  and  not  run 
into  unnecessary  danger,  and  in  private  she  asked 
Barringford  to  watch  over  them  carefully. 

"  I'll  do  my  level  best,  ma'am,"  said  the  frontiers- 


192  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

man.  "  And  ef  I  can  make  it,  they'll  come  back  to 
ye  unharmed.  But  they're  putty  hot-like  when  they 
strike  a  trail  as  suits  'em,  ye  know  thet  as  well  as 
I." 

Preparations  were  at  once  made  for  their  depart- 
ure. Both  Dave  and  Henry  were  fitted  out  with 
new  hunting  suits  of  the  regular  trapper  pattern 
and  each  took  along  the  best  gun  he  could  obtain. 
Sam  Barringford  had  bought  another  rifle,  which 
he  christened  Old  Trusty  No.  2.  They  went  on 
foot,  not  knowing  if  their  progress  with  the  whites 
and  Indians  would  admit  of  riding  on  horseback. 

In  the  meantime  it  was  decided  that  James  Morris 
should  remain  at  the  cabin,  to  finish  the  building 
and  do  the  planting,  thus  giving  his  brother  ample 
time  to  regain  his  health  and  strength,  and  also 
making  it  easier  for  Rodney,  who  during  the  past 
few  weeks  had  been  working  harder  than  was  good 
for  his  constitution. 

"  Good-bye,  my  son,"  said  James  Morris,  when 
the  trio  was  ready  to  start.  "  Be  careful,  but  do 
not  forget  that  we  look  to  you  to  bring  little  Nell 
back,  if  such  a  thing  is  possible;  "  and  then  Mrs. 
Morris  kissed  the  boys;  and  the  long  journey  into 
what  had  been  the  Indian  country  was  begun. 

Dave  felt  somewhat  sober  so  long  as  they  were 
in  sight  of  the  newly  built  cabin,  but  when  the  last 


ON   THE   WAY   TO   THE   ARMY  1 93 

rise  of  ground  was  passed,  and  they  had  waved  a 
parting  farewell,  to  which  Mrs.  Morris  had  an- 
swered by  a  wave  of  her  apron,  his  spirits  returned, 
and  soon  he,  Henry,  and  Barringford  were  chatting 
as  though  nothing  out  of  the  ordinary  was  occur- 
ring, yet  down  in  his  heart,  each  felt  that  this  search 
for  little  Nell  was  going  to  prove  a  serious  and, 
most  likely,  a  dangerous  undertaking. 

"Where  is  Sir  William  Johnson  now?"  asked 
Dave,  presently,  after  several  miles  of  the  trail 
through  the  forest  had  been  covered. 

"  Somewhere  near  Fort  Johnson,"  answered  Bar- 
ringford. "  He's  out  to  get  the  Six  Nations  to  join 
General  Prideaux's.army  either  at  Fort  Stanwix  or 
at  Oswego — if  Prideaux  can  get  that  far.  Johnson 
is  the  very  best  man  they  could  send  to  the  Indians." 

"  Were  you  ever  out  with  him  ?  "  asked  Henry. 

"  Many  a  time,  lad.  He's  a  great  hunter,  too,  let 
me  tell  you — can  hit  the  bull's-eye  at  a  hundred 
paces  without  half  trying.  And  when  it  comes  to 
dancing  an  Indian  war  dance  he  can  do  that,  too." 

"  And  yet  he's  an  Irish  nobleman !  " 

"  Yes,  I  allow  as  how  he's  an  odd  mixture  of  a 
man.  But  that  mixture  makes  him  just  the  right 
kind  for  the  redskins.  He  understands  'em — top, 
bottom  and  sides,  as  the  saying  goes.  He  appeals 
to  their  brains  as  well  as  their  instincts — and  when 


194  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

he  once  makes  friends  of  'em  they  are  willing  to  lay 
down  their  lives  for  him.  In  1756  he  was  appointed 
sole  superintendent  of  the  Six  Nations  Indians, 
and  he  made  a  perilous  trip  all  the  way  to  Onondaga, 
their  capital,  and  staid  with  'em  two  weeks,  and  got 
'em  to  swear  that  they  would  remain  neutral.  That 
was  a  big  feather  in  his  cap.  Then  the  next  year 
he  joined  Webb  at  Fort  Edward  with  some  of  his 
Indians,  but  he  was  too  late  to  do  anything,  although 
I've  heard  he  was  more  than  willing  to  fight.  He 
was  also  on  hand  to  fight  Montcalm  when  Aber- 
crombie  attacked  Ticonderoga,  but  his  three  hun- 
dred Indians  didn't  see  the  use  of  being  slaughtered 
in  the  open  at  mid-day  and  they  refused  to  fight, 
although  they  told  Johnson  they  would  take  part  in 
the  battle  in  their  own  way." 

"  It's  queer  the  English  soldiers  can't  fight  as 
we  do,"  said  Henry.  "  I  really  can't  understand  it. 
They  get  out  in  the  open  and  the  Indian  gets  behind 
a  tree,  and  who  has  the  best  of  it  ?  Certainly  not  the 
man  in  the  open." 

"  I  think  the  English  soldiers  have  learned  a 
lesson  or  two,"  said  Dave.  "  I  don't  believe  you'll 
find  General  Prideaux  marching  on  Fort  Niagara 
in  the  broad  sunlight." 

They  were  trailing  through  a  dense  forest,  with 
trees  on  every  side,  lifting  their  heads  a  hundred 


ON   THE   WAY   TO   THE   ARMY  195 

feet  and  more  to  the  sky.  Gigantic  roots  lay  sprawl- 
ing on  every  side  and  they  had  to  pick  their  way 
with  care,  for  fear  of  pitching  headlong  or  sprain- 
ing an  ankle.  It  was  clear  and  moderately  warm, 
and  would  have  been  warmer  had  the  sunlight 
reached  them. 

"  Years  ago  this  was  a  great  ground  fer  b'ar," 
said  Barringford,  as  they  rested  for  their  noonday 
lunch,  eating  some  things  they  had  brought  along 
from  the  cabin.  "  There  war  a  cave  'bout  two  miles 
from  here  whar  the  b'ar  ust  to  gather  to  the  num- 
ber of  fifteen  or  twenty.  But  the  cave  was  cleaned 
out  so  many  times  ain't  likely  to  be  any  b'ar  left." 

"  Shall  we  go  near  the  cave?  "  questioned  Dave. 
"  I'd  like  to  have  a  look  at  the  spot." 

"  Yes,  we'll  go  putty  clost,  lad.  But  you  don't 
want  to  waste  no  time  on  game  jest  now,  do  ye?  " 

"  Not  unless  it  came  very  easy.  If  we  got  a  bear 
it  would  give  us  some  fine  meat  to  take  along,  and 
we  could  sell  the  skin  at  Cherry  Run." 

"  Ain't  no  b'ar  there,  I'm  putty  sure  on  it.  But 
we  can  stop  an'  see — jest  out  o'  curiosity  sake." 

They  did  not  rest  long,  for  they  were  anxious 
to  join  General  Johnson  at  as  early  a  date  as  possi- 
ble, and  knew  that  it  would  take  them  at  least  two 
weeks  to  make  the  trip.  They  were  on  rising 
ground,  but  soon  they  struck  a  downward  path, 


196  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

filled  with  rough  rocks  and  loose  stones,  where  the 
footing  was  far  from  certain. 

"The  cave  is  over  yonder,"  said  Barringford, 
pointing  with  his  hand.  "  The  opening  to  it  is  on 
the  other  side.  Come,  I'll  show  ye  the  way.  And 
have  your  guns  ready — in  case  a  b'ar  should  turn 
up."  ' 

After  this  no  more  was  said,  and  they  went  for- 
ward, side  by  side — so  that  no  one  might  hinder  the 
aim  of  a  companion.  There  was  a  slight  under- 
growth between  the  rocks  but  for  the  most  part  only 
tall  trees,  bare  for  a  distance  of  thirty  feet  upward, 
marked  the  locality. 

Suddenly  Barringford  put  up  his  hand,  to  warn 
his  companions.  All  came  to  a  halt  and  listened, 
at  the  same  time  straining  their  eyes  to  see  what 
might  be  ahead.  They  heard  a  low  thump,  followed 
by  another,  and  then  all  became  as  silent  as  before. 

"  What  was  it?  "  at  last  whispered  Dave. 

"  Some  wild  animal,"  returned  Barringford,  in 
an  equally  low  tone.  "  Don't  reckon  as  how  it  was 
a  b'ar  though." 

They  waited  a  moment  longer,  and  then  the  old 
hunter  again  led  the  advance.  There  were  several 
large  rocks  to  cross  and  then  they  rounded  one  end 
of  the  cave,  which,  on  top,  was  shaped  very  much 
like  a  huge  rocky  egg. 


ON    THE   WAY   TO   THE   ARMY  197 

"  A  deer!  "  ejaculated  Henry.     "  Look  out!  " 

All  looked  and  saw  a  magnificent  deer  standing 
close  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  gazing  cautiously 
forward.  Suddenly  a  fox  leaped  out  of  the  opening 
and  the  deer  started  back  in  alarm. 

Bang!  It  was  the  report  of  Barringford's  rifle 
and  the  deer  leaped  high  in  the  air,  to  fall  dead  im- 
mediately afterward. 

"  A  good  shot — "  began  Henry,  when  a  noise  be- 
hind him  caused  him  to  swing  around  swiftly. 
What  he  saw  filled  him  with  horror.  A  huge  buck 
was  glaring  at  him  from  the  opposite  end  of  the 
rocky  eminence.  In  a  second  more  the  buck  charged 
the  crowd,  rushing  forward  with  lowered  antlers 
and  with  the  swiftness  of  the  wind. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  FIGHT  WITH  THE  BUCK 
"LOOK  OUt!'» 

These  were  the  only  words  Henry  had  time  to 
utter  and  as  they  left  his  lips  he  leaped  to  one  side 
as  swiftly  as  possible. 

Hardly  knowing  what  Henry  meant,  Dave  and 
Barring-ford  stood  their  ground,  looking  first  one 
way  and  then  another. 

On  the  instant  the  big  buck  came  forward.  His 
rush  was  aimed  at  Henry,  but  missing  that  youth, 
he  went  onward  with  a  wild  plunge,  directly  be- 
tween Dave  and  Barringford. 

"  A  buck !  "  yelled  the  frontiersman.  "  Back  out, 
Dave,  an'  be  quick  about  it ! " 

He  himself  started  on  a  run,  reloading  his  rifle 
as  he  went.  Dave  wanted  to  do  as  bidden,  but  he 
had  been  so  surprised  that  before  he  could  turn  his 
heel  caught  on  a  rock  and  down  he  went  flat  on  his 
back.  His  gun  struck  on  the  trigger  and  went  off, 
the  charge  tearing  over  the  top  of  the  cave  into  the 
tree  branches  beyond. 

198 


He  leaped  forward  once  again,  straight  for  Dave.  — Pwjv  199. 


THE   FIGHT   WITH   THE  BUCK  199 

Dave  was  now  helpless  and  if  the  truth  must  be 
told  the  fall  had  more  than  half  dazed  him,  for  his 
head  came  down  on  a  spot  that  was  far  from  soft 
and  comfortable.  More  than  this,  with  an  empty 
gun  he  could  do  but  little  to  defend  himself. 

The  big  buck  had  now  come  to  a  halt  and  turned 
around.  He  stood  as  if  uncertain  whether  to  renew 
the  attack  or  take  to  his  heels.  -  Then  he  gazed  at 
his  mate  and  a  strange  red  light  shone  in  his  angry 
eyes.  He  was  "  blood  struck,"  as  old  hunters  call 
it,  and  drawing  in  a  sharp,  hissing  breath,  he  leaped 
forward  once  again,  straight  for  Dave,  who  was 
now  trying  to  rise. 

Bang !  It  was  now  Henry's  gun  that  spoke  up,  and 
though  the  aim  was  not  of  the  best — for  Henry  was 
excited  because  Dave  was  in  such  dire  peril — the 
buck  was  struck  in  the  shoulder  and  badly  wounded. 
He  leaped  back  and  into  the  air,  and  when  he  came 
down  lifted  his  right  foreleg  as  if  in  intense  pain. 
But  he  was  still  full  of  fight  and  now  he  came  on 
once  more,  with  eyes  glittering  more  dangerously 
than  ever. 

Dave  had  not  time  to  rise,  so  he  did  the  next 
best  thing,  which  was  to  roll  over  and  over,  until 
a  clump  of  brush  stopped  his  further  progress. 
Then  he  slipped  into  the  brush,  worming  his  way 
to  the  other  side. 


2OO  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

The  big  buck  came  on  and  struck  the  brush  a 
stunning  blow  that  sent  the  stalks  and  twigs  flying 
in  all  directions.  Then  the  animal  backed  out  and 
started  for  Henry,  who  had  begun  to  reload. 

All  this  had  happened  faster  than  I  can  relate 
it,  yet  it  had  given  Barringford  sufficient  time  to 
throw  powder  and  ball  into  his  gun  and  fix  the 
priming.  Now  the  old  hunter  came  close  to  the 
side  of  the  buck  and  blazed  away  once  more, 
straight  for  those  reddish  eyes. 

The  shot  was  a  telling  one,  for  it  tore  out  one  eye 
completely  and  seriously  damaged  the  other.  Again 
the  buck  halted,  and  then  turned  slowly  back  and 
began  to  stagger  off.  But  he  could  not  see  and  in 
a  moment  more  hit  the  rocks  of  the  cave  with  a 
crash  that  could  be  heard  for  a  considerable  distance. 

"  Good  for  you,  Sam !  "  cried  Henry,  who  was 
now  reloading.  "  I  reckon  we've  got  him." 

"  Don't  be  too  sure,"  returned  the  old  hunter. 
"  He's  got  lots  of  fight  in  him  yet." 

Barringford  was  right,  for  again  the  buck  turned 
and  now  catching  a  glimpse  of  Barringford  through 
the  blood  of  his  wounds  made  a  mighty  leap  for  the 
frontiersman.  But  Barringford  was  too  quick  for 
him  and  leaping  aside,  sprang  on  the  rocks  of  the 
cave,  satisfied  the  wounded  buck  could  not  follow 
him  to  that  spot. 


THE   FIGHT   WITH    THE   BUCK  2OI 

By  this  time  Henry  had  reloaded,  and  watching 
his  chance  he  ran  up  and  let  drive  for  the  buck's 
neck.  This  shot  proved  fatal,  and  rocking  to  and 
fro  for  several  seconds  the  magnificent  beast  at  last 
fell  down  on  his  side,  and  breathed  his  last. 

"  Is  he — he  dead?  "  came  from  Dave,  as  he  pulled 
himself  out  of  the  tangle  of  brushwood. 

"  I  think  he  is,"  replied  his  cousin.  "  But  we  had 
better  make  sure.  Bucks  are  mighty  tricky  at  times." 

Taking  out  his  hunting  knife  Henry  went  for- 
ward and  cut  the  throat  of  the  game.  Then  Bar- 
ringford  leaped  from  the  rocks,  and  all  went  to 
inspect  the  buck. 

"  A  regular  monarch  of  the  forest !  "  cried  Dave, 
enthusiastically.  "  Don't  know  as  I've  ever  seen  a 
larger." 

"  Nor  I,"  added  Barringford.  "  An*  he  was  a 
fighter,  too,  wasn't  he?" 

"  We've  got  more  deer  meat  now  than  we  know 
what  to  do  with,"  went  on  Dave. 

"  We  don't  want  the  meat  of  this  buck,"  said 
Henry.  "  It  would  be  as  tough  as  all  get-out.  We 
can  take  the  skin  and  some  of  the  meat  from  that 
deer,  and  that  will  be  enough;  don't  you  say  so, 
Sam?" 

"  Right  you  are,  lad." 

All  were  experienced  in  the  work  at  hand,  so  it 


2O2  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

did  not  take  them  long  to  skin  both  beasts  and  then 
the  best  of  the  deer  meat  was  cut  out  by  Barring- 
ford  and  rolled  up  in  one  of  the  pelts. 

After  this  the  march  forward  was  again  re- 
sumed. 

That  night  they  slept  in  the  open,  near  a  gen- 
erous camp-fire,  without  being  disturbed,  and  by 
sunrise  were  again  on  their  way.  They  reached 
Cherry  Run — a  collection  of  half  a  dozen  cabins — 
a  little  after  noon,  and  here  exchanged  the  skins 
and  some  of  the  meat  for  other  things  of  more  im- 
portance to  them. 

"  There  is  a  Dutch  hunter  here,  who  is  going  to 
join  General  Johnson,"  said  the  pioneer  who  gave 
them  other  things  for  their  skins.  "  His  name  is 
Hans  Schnitzer.  Perhaps  he'd  like  to  go  along 
with  you — if  you  want  him." 

"What,  old  Dutch  Hans,  the  beaver  hunter!" 
exclaimed  Barringford.  "  Why  certainly  I'd  like 
him  along.  Thar's  more  fun  in  him  nor  in  a  bar- 
rel o'  wasps.  Whar  is  he?" 

"  He  vos  right  here,"  came  a  voice  from  behind 
Barringford,  and  a  short,  stout  individual  stepped 
forward.  His  hair  was  red  and  his  shock  of  a  beard 
bore  the  same  color.  Above  two  sunburnt  cheeks 
peeped  two  small  eyes  of  blue,  ever  on  a  twinkle. 
He  was  dressed  in  the  typical  suit  of  the  frontiers- 


THE   FIGHT    WITH    THE   BUCK  2O3 

man  of  that  day,  buckskin  leggings,  coonskin  cap 
and  all. 

"  So  you  dinks  dare  vos  more  fun  py  me  as  mit 
von  parrel  of  vasps,  hey?  "  went  on  the  Dutch  trap- 
per. "  Veil,  how  apout  dot  dime  ven  you  vos  going 
to  git  dot  pird's  nest  in  der  hollow  dree  und  you 
stick  your  hand  py  dat  vasps'  nest,  hey?  Vosn't 
dot  funny,  hey?  Ha!  ha!  ha!  I  see  dot  yet — mit 
you  dancing  arount  like  you  vos  a  sailor  on  a  pipe- 
horn,  eh?" 

"  Gosh !  don't  mention  it,  Hans,"  returned  Bar- 
ringford,  ruefully.  "  I  kin  feel  them  pesky  wasps 
yet,  fer  they  war  the  biggest  I  ever  ran  across.  But 
put  it  thar,  old  boy,  I'm  downright  glad  to  see  you — 
an'  after  all  the  fightin'  we've  been  a-havin',  too.  I 
suppose  ye  broke  loose,  didn't  ye  ?  " 

"  Veil  I  dinks  me  so,"  said  Hans  Schnitzer.  "  I 
vos  up  py  dot  Mohawk  Valley,  und  I  got  me  into 
nine  fights  by  von  veek  vonce,  und  fourteen  fights 
after  dot."  He  removed  his  cap.  "See  dot  mark? 
Dot  is  .vere  two  Injuns  tried  to  kill  me — von  mit  a 
tomahawk  und  der  udder  mit  his  shcalpin'  knife — 
dinking  I  vos  dead.  But  I  vasn't  dead.  I  chumped 
up  und  ve  rasselled  und  rasselled,  und  I  got  dem  poth 
down  ven,  vot  you  dinks? — Cheneral  Johnson  him- 
self come  up — und  dot  vos  der  last  of  dose  Injuns 
putty  quick  I  can  tole  you." 


2O4  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  Good  for  the  general,"  said  Barringford.  Then 
turning,  he  introduced  Dave  and  Henry,  and  a  gen- 
eral conversation  ensued.  The  boys  liked  Hans 
Schnitzer  from  the  start,  and  having  often  heard  of 
the  comical  Dutch  trapper,  soon  felt  at  home  with 
him.  Schnitzer  knew  exactly  where  Sir  William 
Johnson's  camp  was  located,  and  promised  to  take 
the  party  there  by  the  shortest  and  easiest  trail. 

The  party  of  four  left  Cherry  Run  early  the  next 
morning,  each  in  the  best  of  spirits,  Schnitzer  gaily 
humming  a  song  of  the  Fatherland.  The  trail  led 
almost  due  north,  until  a  small  stream  was  reached. 
Here,  in  a  convenient  spot,  the  Dutch  trapper  had  a 
canoe  secreted.  This  they  entered  and  followed  the 
stream  for  a  distance  of  thirty  miles,  when  they 
again  struck  out  on  foot,  this  time  over  the  hills 
leading  into  the  beautiful  Mohawk  Valley. 

Day  after  day  passed  without  anything  unusual 
happening.  Game  was  to  be  had  in  plenty,  and  it 
often  made  Henry  heart-sick  to  leave  it  behind  with- 
out taking  a  shot. 

"  A  regular  Paradise !  "  he  said.  "  When  this 
war  is  over,  how  I  would  like  to  come  up  here  and 
knock  around  for  a  few  weeks.  I  reckon  I  could 
make  it  well  worth  while." 

"  You'll  find  game  just  as  plentiful  at  father's 
post  on  the  Kinotah,"  answered  Dave.  "  If  father 


THE   FIGHT   WITH    THE   BUCK  2O$ 

can  ever  get  the  post  back,  you  must  make  a  trip  out 
there  with  me." 

Ever  since  leaving  home  Dave  had  wanted  to  see 
a  bear,  and  one  day,  just  before  the  sun  was  setting, 
his  wish  was  gratified.  But  the  game  was  too  far 
away  for  shooting,  and  before  they  could  get  closer 
the  bear  took  to  his  heels  and  went  crashing  out  of 
sight  in  the  brushwood. 

"  Never  mind,  lad,  we'll  go  b'ar  huntin'  another 
day,"  said  Barringford,  consolingly.  "  Jest  fer  the 
present,  we  have  other  ground  ter  plough,  as  the 
sayin'  goes." 

At  the  end  of  ten  days  the  journey  began  to  grow 
tiresome  to  the  boys,  and  they  were  glad  when 
Schnitzer  announced  that  another  day  would  more 
than  likely  bring  them  in  sight  of  General  John- 
son's camp. 

That  night  they  encamped  on  the  bank  of  the 
Mohawk,  in  an  ideal  spot  covered  with  brush  and 
some  timber.  All  were  thoroughly  tired,  for  the 
day's  tramp  had  been  a  long  one,  and  Dave  and 
Henry  were  glad  when  preparations  for  supper 
were  at  an  end  and  there  was  nothing  more  to  do 
than  to  eat  and  go  to  sleep. 

It  had  been  a  clear  day,  but  with  the  coming  of 
night,  the  sky  had  clouded  over,  showing  that  a 
storm  was  not  far  off,  although  neither  Barringford 


2O6  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

nor  Hans  the  trapper  thought  it  would  rain  before 
morning. 

"  Put  ven  it  does  come,  I  dink  me  it  vos  come 
hardt,"  said  Schnitzer.  "  Maype  it  vos  rain  for 
two  or  fife  days,  eh  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  hope  it  doesn't  rain  as  long  as  that ! " 
cried  Dave.  "  Why,  we'll  be  drowned  out." 

The  wood  was  piled  on  the  fire,  and  a  little  later 
all  lay  down  to  rest,  and  it  did  not  take  Henry  and 
Dave  long  to  reach  the  land  of  dreams.  They  lay 
on  one  side  of  the  cheerful  blaze  while  the  two  men 
lay  on  the  other.  The  wind  was  blowing  the  smoke 
from  the  fire  directly  across  the  river,  so  this  did  not 
bother  them. 

Dave  had  been  asleep  three  hours  when  he  sud- 
denly awoke  and  gave  a  cough.  Thinking  that  he 
was  in  danger  of  being  smothered  by  the  smoke  he 
sat  up  and  gazed  at  the  fire.  The  wind  had  shifted 
slightly,  but  not  enough  to  do  any  harm. 

"  No  use  of  waking  up  the  others,"  he  thought. 
"  They  need  every  bit  of  sleep  they  can  get.  That 
wood  is  about  burnt  out  anyway,  so  there  won't  be 
much  more  smoke." 

He  was  about  to  lie  down  again,  when  the  snap- 
ping of  some  brushwood  behind  him  caught  his  ear. 
Turning  he  caught  sight  of  an  Indian  crouching  in 


THE   FIGHT   WITH   THE   BUCK  2O7 

the  bushes  gazing  at  him.  Then  came  a  noise  from 
another  direction  and  four  other  redmen  glided  into 
view.  All  were  armed  with  guns,  and  at  once  Dave 
realized  that  the  camp  was  surrounded. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

UP  THE  MOHAWK  VALLEY 

"  HENRY  !  Sam !  Schnitzer !  Wake  up !  The 
camp  is  surrounded  by  Indians !  " 

Dave  uttered  the  cry  loudly,  and  on  the  instant 
Barringford  leaped  to  his  feet,  reaching  for  his  ever- 
ready  gun  as  he  did  so.  The  Dutch  trapper  was 
also  awake  in  short  order,  and  Henry  followed. 

"  Injuns?  "  queried  Barringford.     "  Whar?  " 

"  In  those  bushes,  and  behind  yonder  trees. 
What  shall  we  do?" 

Before  the  old  frontiersman  could  answer  that 
question,  a  voice  came  out  of  the  darkness: 

"  Are  the  white  men  English?  " 

"  Yes,  we're  English,"  answered  Barringford. 

"  Then  the  redmen  are  glad  to  meet  their  broth- 
ers. The  redmen  were  afraid  the  sleeping  ones 
were  French." 

"  Who  are  you?  "  asked  Henry. 

"  Arrow  Head,  of  the  Miamis.  We  have  joined 
the  great  English  warrior  Johnson,  to  fight  the 
French.  Let  us  be  friends." 

•08 


UP   THE   MOHAWK   VALLEY  2OQ 

A  few  words  more  followed,  and  Barringford 
told  the  Indians  to  come  forward.  At  this  eight 
redmen  advanced  to  the  camp-fire,  on  which  the  boys 
threw  some  extra  brushwood,  so  that  they  might 
see  the  new  arrivals.  The  Indians  had  slung  their 
weapons  over  their  shoulders,  as  a  sign  of  peace,  and 
our  friends  did  likewise. 

Schnitzer  had  met  Arrow  Head  before,  and  said 
he  would  vouch  for  it  that  the  warrior  was  all  right. 
From  the  under  chief  it  was  learned  that  General 
Johnson,  with  seven  hundred  Indians,  had  already 
marched  to  meet  General  Prideaux  and  that  the 
camp  of  the  army  was  some  forty  miles  distant,  up 
the  river.  Arrow  Head  had  been  left  behind  to 
"  drum  up  "  a  few  stragglers,  but  was  now  ready  to 
go  forward  with  the  redmen  under  him. 

"  The  war  talk  at  Canajoharie  castle  was  a  great 
one,"  said  the  under  warrior.  "  Your  General  John- 
son has  treated  us  like  brothers,  and  we  will  fight 
for  him  to  the  bitter  end.  We  have  sung  our  war 
songs  and  put  on  our  war  paints,  and  no  French 
soldiers  shall  stand  up  against  us.  Henceforth  the 
English  shall  be  our  brothers  for  evermore." 

"  Yah,  now  you  vos  talkin'  common  sense,"  put  in 
Schnitzer.  "  Ven  you  fight  mid  dem  Frenchers  you 
vos  all  fools — for  dem  Frenchers  vill  pe  licked  chust 
so  sure  as  Henry  Hudson  discovered  New  York. 


2IO  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

I  peen  a  Dutch  prophet,  und  I  know,"  and  he  said 
this  so  earnestly  that  Arrow  Head  was  duly  im- 
pressed. Schnitzer,  who  afterward  made  himself 
famous  as  a  pioneer  in  Ohio,  could  do  a  few  sleight 
of  hand  tricks,  and  because  of  these  tricks  many  of 
the  redmen  considered  him  something  of  a  wizard. 

All  rested  until  daybreak  and  then,  after  a  hasty 
breakfast,  in  which  the  Indians  joined  the  whites, 
the  march  forward  was  resumed.  Soon  it  began  to 
rain,  but  the  drops  did  not  come  down  heavily,  and 
Barringford  said  the  storm  had  shifted  to  the  west- 
ward. In  this  he  was  right  for  by  noon  the  sun  was 
shining  as  brightly  as  ever. 

As  they  trudged  along,  Dave  and  Henry  ques- 
tioned Arrow  Head  concerning  the  French  Indians 
and  their  captives,  and  about  Jean  Bevoir.  They 
could,  however,  get  little  satisfaction,  excepting  that 
Arrow  Head  had  heard  that  all  the  captives  had  been 
removed  to  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie  and  Lake  On- 
tario, and  that  a  general  movement  toward  Montreal 
and  Quebec  was  contemplated. 

While  our  friends  were  trudging  through  the 
woods  northward,  General  Prideaux  had  gone  to 
Schenectady.  He  had  with  him  his  own  division  of 
the  army  consisting  of  two  regiments  of  English  sol- 
diers and  twenty-six  hundred  Americans,  principally 
from  New  York,  although  with  the  New  Yorkers 


UP   THE   MOHAWK   VALLEY  211 

were  a  good  sprinkling  of  rangers  from  Vermont, 
Massachusetts,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania  and  Vir- 
ginia, men  who  roamed  from  one  colony  to  another, 
looking  for  a  chance  to  better  themselves  and  ever 
ready  for  a  fight,  be  it  with  the  French  or  the 
Indians. 

From  Schenectady  General  Prideaux  moved  up 
the  Mohawk  Valley,  which  was  the  most  direct 
route  to  the  lakes.  This  old  Indian  trail  was  pro- 
tected by  Fort  Herkimer,  Fort  William,  Fort  Stan- 
wix,  Fort  Bull,  and  other  fortifications  along  the 
river  and  Lake  Oneida.  But  this  great  wilderness 
was  a  wilderness  still,  with  stopping  places  few  and 
far  between,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  friendliness 
of  the  Indians — thanks  to  the  good  work  done  by 
General  Johnson — matters  might  have  gone  badly 
with  the  English.  More  than  once  there  was  an 
alarm  and  at  night  sentries  were  posted  with  as  much 
care  as  though  they  were  in  the  very  heart  of  the 
enemy's  country. 

It  was  not  until  three  days  after  meeting  Arrow 
Head  and  his  followers  that  our  friends  came  in 
sight  of  General  Prideaux's  command,  toiling  pain- 
fully around  some  of  the  rapids  in  the  river.  This 
first  sight  of  the  army  was  a  thrilling  one,  for  uni- 
forms and  weapons  shone  brightly  in  the  clear  sun- 
light. Dave's  heart  gave  a  bound. 


212  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

"  Puts  me  in  mind  of  the  time  I  marched  with 
Braddock,"  he  said  to  Henry.  "  Indeed,  it  might 
almost  be  the  same  scene  over  again." 

"  Well,  let  us  hope  it  isn't  the  same  defeat  over 
again,"  returned  his  cousin,  grimly. 

The  army  came  to  a  halt  half  an  hour  later,  and 
then  they  learned  that  General  Johnson  and  his  In- 
dians were  miles  away.  They  talked  the  matter  over 
and  at  length  concluded  to  move  forward  with  the 
soldiers,  trusting  to  luck  to  interview  Johnson  later. 
It  was  an  easy  matter  for  Barringford  and  Hans 
Schnitzer  to  locate  a  number  of  friends  among  the 
rangers,  and  they  received  a  hearty  welcome,  and 
Dave  and  Henry  were  put  at  their  ease.  One  old 
soldier  asked  Dave  if  he  had  seen  much  of  the  war, 
and  when  the  lad  told  him  he  had  been  both  with 
Braddock  and  with  Forbes  in  the  attacks  on  what 
was  now  Fort  Pitt  the  old  soldier  shook  his  hand 
warmly  and  "  reckoned  as  how  "  he'd  "  do  fust-rate 
to  fight  them  Frenchmen  at  Fort  Niagara." 

Our  four  friends  were  assigned  to  a  company  un- 
der Captain  John  Mollett,  who  was  known  to  Bar- 
ringford, and  inside  of  a  couple  of  days  felt  thor- 
oughly at  home. 

In  those  days  the  Mohawk  River  was  navigable 
with  canoes  and  batteaux  to  within  four  miles  of 
Lake  Oneida.  From  this  point  the  boats  had  to  be 


UP   THE   MOHAWK   VALLEY  213 

carried  across  the  watershed,  on  the  backs  of  horses, 
Indians,  and  soldiers  to  the  lake.  From  Lake  Oneida 
it  was  clear  sailing  down  the  Oswego  River  to  Lake 
Ontario. 

As  they  had  done  so  many  times  in  the  past,  some 
of  the  English  soldiers  were  apt  to  sneer  at  the  pro- 
vincials, and  this  led  to  more  than  one  wordy  quarrel 
and  not  infrequently  to  blows. 

"  They  make  me  sick !  "  declared  Henry,  one  day, 
after  listening  to  the  bluster  of  several  grenadiers. 
"  To  hear  them  talk  one  would  think  only  they  were 
able  to  fight.  I  reckon  we  can  do  our  full  share." 

"  If  they  say  anything  to  me  I'll  tell  'em  what 
happened  under  Braddock,"  returned  Dave.  "  And 
they  can  take  it  as  they  please." 

Barringford  counseled  moderation,  but  secretly 
he  was  as  much  put  out  as  the  boys  even  though 
some  of  the  English  were  his  warm  friends.  He 
had  come  near  to  having  a  quarrel  with  an  English 
lieutenant  named  Naster  and  he  was  still  much  dis- 
turbed over  this. 

That  very  night  Dave,  while  on  picket  duty,  heard 
Lieutenant  Naster  finding  fault  with  an  old  ranger 
named  Campwell.  Campwell  was  a  pioneer  over 
sixty-five  years  of  age,  and  while  a  good  shot  and  a 
good  fighter  was  at  times  not  just  right  in  his  mind, 
although  he  could  by  no  means  be  called  crazy.  The 


214  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

pair  came  close  to  where  Dave  was  on  guard  and  the 
young  soldier  heard  the  lieutenant  poke  all  manner 
of  fun  at  the  old  man. 

"  Better  go  home  and  mind  the  babies,  Camp- 
well,"  said  the  English  lieutenant.  "  It's  more  in 
your  line  of  duty,  isn't  it  now  ?  " 

"  Let  me  alone !  "  cried  the  old  man.  "  If  I  was 
to  mind  babies  I'd  not  mind  such  a  one  as  you,  I'll 
warrant.  'T  would  have  been  better  had  you  re- 
mained in  England." 

"  Ha !  so  you  call  me'  a  baby  ?  "  roared  Lieutenant 
Naster,  sourly.  "  If  I  am,  how  do  you  like  that 
from  me?"  And  he  gave  the  old  pioneer  a  shove 
that  sent  him  headlong  over  the  roots  of  a  nearby 
tree. 

The  action  was  so  cowardly,  and  so  entirely  un- 
called for,  that  it  made  Dave's  temper  rise  on  the 
instant,  and  regardless  of  consequences  he  leaped 
to  where  Lieutenant  Naster  was  standing  and 
caught  him  by  the  shoulder. 

"  Leave  him  alone,  you  brute ! "  he  ejaculated. 
"  How  dare  you  treat  an  old  man  like  that  ?  " 

In  sudden  fear  the  English  lieutenant  wheeled 
around.  When  he  saw  it  was  only  a  boy  who  had 
spoken,  and  a  hated  provincial  at  that,  his  rage  re- 
turned. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  placing  your  dirty  hand 


UP   THE    MOHAWK   VALLEY 

on  me !  "  he  roared.  "  I'll  have  you  arrested  on  the 
spot!  This  to  me — an  officer  of  the  King's  Guard! 
Preposterous ! " 

"  It  wasn't  right  to  molest  old  Campwell,"  re- 
turned Dave,  sturdily.  "  He  is  as  brave  as  any  of 
us,  and  I  have  heard  tell  that  he  has  fought  well  all 
through  this  war.  You  ought " 

"  Don't  tell  me  what  I  ought  to  do,  you  dirty  little 
plantation  hand!  Say  another  word  and  I'll  report 
you  at  headquarters." 

"  As  you  please,"  answered  Dave,  recklessly. 
"  But  if  you  worry  Campwell  any  more  you'll  have 
an  account  to  settle  with  Colonel  Haldimand — and 
I  can  tell  you  that  he  won't  put  up  with  it  any  more 
than  any  of  us." 

At  the  mention  of  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  pro- 
vincials the  English  lieutenant  was  for  the  moment 
nonplussed.  He  knew  Colonel  Haldimand  to  be  a 
Swiss-American  of  stern  military  bearing  and  one 
to  whom  many  of  the  pioneers  were  warmly 
attached. 

"You — you  threaten  me?"  he  asked,  after  an 
ugly  pause. 

"  You  can  take  it  as  you  please." 

"  My  affair  with  this  old  man  was  my  own — not 
yours." 

"  Yes,  but  I'm  glad  he  took  my  part,"  came  from 


2l6  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Campwell,  as  he  arose  slowly  to  his  feet,  for  the  fall 
had  deprived  him  of  his  breath.  "  You  took  a  mean 
advantage  o'  me.  I've  a  good  mind  to  fill  ye  full  o' 
buckshot !  "  And  he  caught  hold  of  his  gun  threat- 
eningly. 

It  was  now  that  Lieutenant  Naster  showed  his 
true  nature.  Much  of  his  color  forsook  him  and  he 
retreated  in  alarm. 

"Don't— don't!"  he  cried,  hurriedly.  "  I— I 
didn't  mean  to  be — ah — serious.  The  whole  thing 
was  meant  in  fun." 

"  No  fun  in  shoving  me  down." 

"  I — ah — I  didn't  mean  to  shove  you  so  hard — 
upon  my  honor  I  did  not,  Campwell.  Let  us  drop 
it ;  won't  you  ?  " 

The  old  pioneer  gave  a  grunt.  He  was  too  open- 
hearted  to  understand  such  a  mean,  sneaking  nature 
as  that  of  the  Englishman. 

"  We'll  drop  it — but  keep  your  hands  off  of  me 
in  the  future,"  he  said,  at  last. 

"  I  won't  bother  you.  But  you — "  The  lieuten- 
ant turned  to  Dave.  "  I'll  bear  you  in  mind,  my 
fine  young  cock-of-the-walk, — and  I'll  take  you 
down  a  peg  or  two  ere  I'm  done  with  you,  remember 
what  I  say !  "  And  with  a  shake  of  his  fist  he  hur- 
ried away  in  the  darkness. 

A  minute  after  this  Barringford  came  up,  asking 


UP   THE    MOHAWK   VALLEY  217 

what  was  the  matter.     When  told  his  brow  con- 
tracted. 

"  That  lieutenant  is  a  regular  sneak,"  he  said. 
"  Keep  your  eye  open  fer  him,  Dave — an'  don't  trust 
him  a  farthing's  worth.  He  is  just  the  kind  to  play 
you  dirty  the  first  chance  he  gits." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

HENRY  IS  ATTACKED 

THE  days  to  follow  were  full  of  hard  work  for 
the  young  soldiers.  They  were  detailed  with  the 
baggage  corps,  and  had  all  they  could  do  to  bring 
through  the  many  things  left  in  their  care.  Al- 
though Dave  did  not  know  the  truth,  it  was  Lieu- 
tenant Naster  who  had  much  of  this  work  piled  on 
the  young  soldier's  shoulders. 

The  sail  down  Lake  Oneida  proved  a  period  of 
rest,  for  which  both  Dave  and  Henry  were  truly 
thankful.  Both  made  the  journey  in  a  long  and  wide 
batteau,  commonly  called  to-day  a  flat-bottom  boat. 
It  was  now  the  end  of  June  and  the  weather  was  hot. 
On  one  occasion  the  youths  went  in  bathing,  but  this 
time  nothing  molested  them.  They  also  went  fish- 
ing and  brought  out  as  nice  a  mess  of  fish  as  the 
clear  waters  of  this  lake  afforded. 

"  It's  an  ideal  spot  for  a  home,"  said  Dave.  "  Puts 
me  in  mind  of  the  Kinotah." 

"  If  the  Kinotan  is  as  good  as  this  I  wouldn't  want 
anything  better,"  replied  Henry. 

318 


HENRY   IS   ATTACKED  219 

The  batteau,  of  extra-large  size,  was  filled  with 
baggage,  and  besides  the  boys  there  were  ten  rangers 
on  board,  including  old  Campwell.  The  old  man 
sat  in  the  rear  of  the  craft,  eyeing  the  shore 
critically. 

"  My  eyesight  ain't  none  o'  the  best,"  he  drawled, 
presently.  "  But  onless  I'm  in  error,  I  jest  see  a 
number  o'  Injuns  behind  yonder  skirt  o'  bushes." 

All  looked  in  the  direction,  and  presently  one  of 
the  other  rangers  said  that  he,  too,  saw  at  least  two 
Indians.  They  appeared  to  be  following  up  the  boats 
and  at  the  same  time  did  all  they  could  to  keep 
hidden. 

"  What  do  you  make  of  that?  "  asked  Henry  of 
Barringford,  who  was  pulling  an  oar  beside  him. 

The  old  frontiersman  shrugged  his  shoulders. 
"  Depends  on  whether  they  are  friends  or  enemies, 
Henry,"  he  said.  "  If  they  are  friends  more'n  likely 
they'll  jine  us  when  we  reach  the  river." 

"And  if  not?" 

"  Then  they  ought  to  be  captured,  for  if  they  ain't 
friends  they  are  spying  for  the  French." 

Evidently  the  Indians  had  not  been  discovered  by 
those  on  the  other  batteaux,  and  after  a  short  talk 
the  man  in  charge  of  that  containing  our  friends  de- 
cided to  report  the  case  to  his  superior,  in  a  boat 
some  distance  ahead.  Pulling  with  all  strength,  the 


22O  MARCHING  ON    NIAGARA 

clumsy  craft  was,  in  quarter  of  an  hour,  brought 
alongside  of  Captain  Mollett's  boat. 

"Indians,  eh?"  said  the  captain,  reflectively. 
"  Couldn't  make  them  out  very  well,  could  you  ?  " 

"  No,  captain." 

"  Hum !    We'll  have  to  investigate  this." 

Word  was  passed  to  several  other  batteaux,  and 
soon  after  a  boat  turned  toward  shore,  having  on 
board  fifteen  rangers,  including  Barringford  and 
Henry.  Dave  and  Schnitzer  wished  to  accompany 
the  others  but  this  was  not  permitted. 

"  Good-by  until  we  meet  again ! "  cried  Henry, 
on  leaving. 

"  Take  good  care  of  yourself,"  returned  Dave, 
and  so  with  a  wave  of  the  hand  the  two  cousins 
parted. 

It  did  not  take  the  batteau  long  to  reach  the  north 
shore  of  the  lake,  and  as  soon  as  the  craft  grounded 
all  leaped  out.  Fastening  the  boat  to  a  nearby  tree, 
the  rangers  set  out  on  a  search  for  the  Indians. 

The  party  was  under  the  command  of  George 
Harvey,  well  known  as  an  old  Indian  fighter  of  the 
Mohawk  valley  and  a  man  who  was  as  shrewd  as  he 
was  daring.  He  had  brought  the  rangers  ashore 
boldly,  but  once  in  the  shelter  of  the  timber  he  halted 
his  men  to  give  them  advice. 

"  We'll  spread  out  in  a  straight  line,  due  north," 


HENRY  IS  ATTACKED  221 

he  said.  "  Each  man  about  thirty  yards  from  the 
next.  Then  we  can  beat  up  the  timber  thoroughly. 
Don't  fire  until  you're  sure  of  what  you  are  doing, 
for  to  kill  a  friendly  Indian  just  now  would  be  the 
worst  thing  we  could  do.  General  Johnson  would 
never  forgive  you  for  it.  He  had  hard  enough  work 
to  make  'em  come  over  to  us." 

It  fell  to  Henry's  lot  to  skirt  the  shore  of  the  lake, 
with  Barringford  next  to  him.  The  way  was  easy 
where  the  trail  ran  close  to  the  water,  but  at  other 
points  was  exceedingly  difficult,  for  big  stones  and 
thick  brushwood  frequently  blocked  his  progress. 

"  Phew !  but  this  is  no  child's  play ! "  he  mut- 
tered to  himself,  as  he  came  out  on  a  point  of  the 
shore  where  the  sun  blazed  down  fiercely.  "  A  fel- 
low couldn't  feel  any  hotter  plowing  corn  or  turning 
hay.  I'd  rather  go  swimming  than  hunt  up  In- 
dians, I  must  confess." 

His  soliloquy  was  broken  by  the  flitting  of  some- 
thing from  one  tree  to  another,  some  distance  ahead. 
The  movement  was  so  rapid,  and  the  distance  so 
great,  that  he  could  not  settle  in  his  mind  what  the 
object  had  been. 

"Was  that  an  Indian,  or  some  big  wild  bird?" 
he  asked  himself.  Drawing  back  into  the  shelter  of 
some  bushes  he  held  his  gun  ready  for  use,  and 
gazed  ahead  with  much  interest. 


222  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

The  sun  was  now  well  down  in  the  west,  so  his 
shadow  fell  in  front  of  him  as  he  gazed  eastward. 
Of  a  sudden  another  shadow  loomed  up  beside  his 
own.  He  turned,  but  before  he  could  defend  him- 
self, he  was  hauled  back  and  his  gun  was  wrenched 
from  his  grasp.  He  tried  to  cry  out,  but  a  red  hand 
was  instantly  clapped  over  his  mouth. 

Henry  tried  his  best  to  free  himself  but  it  was  use- 
less. Two  brawny  warriors  had  attacked  him,  and 
now  one  of  the  redmen  flourished  a  long  hunting 
knife  in  his  face,  at  the  same  time  muttering  some 
words  of  warning  in  a  guttural  tone.  Henry  did 
not  understand  the  language  spoken,  but  he  knew 
what  was  meant — that  he  would  be  killed  if  he  at- 
tempted to  either  fight  or  cry  out — and  so  for  the 
time  being  he  lay  still. 

At  a  distance  the  young  soldier  heard  the  sounds 
of  footsteps,  and  he  rightfully  surmised  that  Bar- 
ringford  was  continuing  his  journey  forward,  with 
the  rest  of  the  rangers.  Soon  the  sounds  died  away 
and  all  became  as  silent  as  the  grave. 

But  the  Indians  did  not  wish  to  take  any  chances 
and  so  the  one  with  the  knife  continued  to  stand 
over  the  young  soldier  until  his  companion  was  cer- 
tain the  whites  had  gone  on.  Then  he  emitted  a 
short  and  peculiar  bird-like  whistle. 

In  less  than  two  minutes  fully  a  dozen  warriors 


HENRY   IS   ATTACKED  22$ 

appeared  on  the  scene,  crawling  from  behind  logs 
and  rocks  and  from  holes  among  the  tree  roots.  All 
came  forward  and  gazed  curiously  at  the  prisoner. 

A  parley  lasting  but  a  few  minutes  followed. 
Henry  tried  his  best  to  make  out  what  was  said,  but 
this  Indian  dialect  was  entirely  new  to  him.  He 
half  suspected  that  these  redmen  had  come  down 
into  New  York  from  the  north  shore  of  Lake  On- 
tario and  in  this  he  was  not  mistaken.  They  were 
spies,  as  it  was  long  afterward  proved,  sent  out  by 
Saint  Luc  de  la  Corne,  the  French  officer  in  com- 
mand at  Isle  Royal,  afterward  called  Chimney 
Island. 

The  coming  ashore  of  the  English  had  evidently 
disconcerted  the  Indians  and  they  hesitated  over 
what  should  be  ^heir  next  move.  But  at  last  they 
set  off  on  a  rapid  march  northward,  taking  Henry 
with  them.  The  young  soldier's  hands  were  bound 
behind  him  and  he  was  given  to  understand  that  if 
he  did  not  move  along  as  suited  them  he  would  be 
killed  on  the  spot. 

"  A  nice  pickle  I'm  in  and  no  mistake,"  he  mused, 
as  the  party  toiled  up  a  long  hill  and  through  a 
dense  patch  of  timber  where  the  undergrowth  al- 
most barred  all  progress.  "  These  redskins  won't 
give  me  the  slightest  chance  to  get  away,  and  where 
they  are  taking  me  is  more  than  I  can  guess.  Won- 


224  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

der  what  Barringford  will  say  when  he  finds  I  am 

missing?  " 

Some  time  after  this  a  distant  shot  sounded  out, 

at  which  all  of  the  Indians  came  to  a  halt.    The  shot 

was  followed  by  several  others,  all  coming  from 

the  direction  of  the  lake. 

"  Perhaps  they  are  signals  meant  for  me,"  thought 

Henry.     "  Oh,  if  only  Barringford  and  the  others 

strike  the  right  trail !  " 

The  shots  having  come  to  an  end,  the  forward 

march  was   resumed,  and  the  party  did  not  halt 

again  until  long  after  nightfall.  Henry  was  bound 
to  a  tree  and  one  of  the  Indians,  who  seemed  less 
bloodthirsty  than  the  others,  gave  him  a  bit  of  meat, 
some  corn  cakes,  and  a  drink  of  water.  The  young 
soldier  thanked  the  redskin  and  tried  to  engage  him 
in  conversation,  but  the  Indian  merely  shook  his 
head  and  walked  away. 

When  the  Indians  retired  for  the  night  Henry  was 
tied  to  a  short  stake  driven  deeply  into  the  ground. 
This  allowed  him  to  rest  on  one  side  or  the  other, 
but  still  kept  his  hands  behind  him — a  most  uncom- 
fortable position.  But  lying  down,  even  like  that, 
was  better  than  standing  against  the  tree,  and  he 
was  so  tired  he  was  soon  fast  asleep. 

A  kick  in  the  ribs  awoke  him  at  early  daybreak, 


HENRY   IS   ATTACKED  225 

and  after  a  light  breakfast,  the  Indians  resumed 
their  journey.  In  a  short  time  they  gained  a  small 
stream,  and  from  a  hiding  place  brought  forth  sev- 
eral canoes.  Henry  was  made  to  enter  one  of  the 
canoes  and  the  whole  party  began  to  paddle  down 
the  stream  swiftly  and  in  the  utmost  silence. 

The  watercourse  was  less  than  five  yards  wide  and 
in  many  places  the  branches  of  the  trees  on  the  op- 
posite banks  intertwined,  forming  a  long,  low  bower, 
beneath  which  the  sunlight  was  hardly  able  to  pene- 
trate. Outside  it  was  hot  and  dry,  but  on  this  stream 
it  was  deliciously  cool,  and  under  other  circum- 
stances Henry  would  have  enjoyed  the  canoe  trip 
greatly.  Game  was  plentiful  and  frequently  popped 
up  within  easy  shooting  distance.  The  Indians  did 
not  use  their  guns,  however,  although  a  number  of 
birds  and  a  deer  were  brought  down  by  the  aid  of  a 
bow  and  arrows  in  the  hands  of  an  Indian  in  the 
front  canoe. 

Before  the  trip  on  the  river  came  to  an  end  Henry 
calculated  that  they  had  covered  at  least  sixteen 
miles.  They  went  ashore  just  above  a  small  water- 
fall and  now  the  Indians  took  their  canoes  with 
them.  The  party  turned  westward,  and  Henry 
guessed  that  they  were  bound  for  the  eastern  shore 
of  Lake  Ontario. 


226  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"If  they  once  get  me  on  the  lake  I'll  be  booked  for 
Canada,  that's  certain,"  he  mused,  dismally.  "  If 
only  I  had  half  a  chance  I'd  run  for  it,  even  though 
I'd  risk  being  shot." 


CHAPTER  XXV 

A  STORM  ON  LAKE  ONTARIO 

WHEN  the  soldiers  under  General  Prideaux 
reached  Oswego  they  found  the  fort  in  ruins.  Three 
years  before  the  French  and  Indians  under  Mont- 
calm  had  won  a  victory  there  and  before  leaving-  had 
burnt  up  and  otherwise  destroyed  every  building, 
large  and  small,  and  also  every  ship  in  the  harbor, 
and  had  taken  away  all  the  guns  and  ammunition 
and  a  large  part  of  the  possessions  of  the  settlers 
in  that  vicinity.  On  every  side  were  heaps  of  ashes 
and  charred  logs,  some  overgrown  with  weeds,  and 
in  the  midst  of  these  stood  a  huge  wooden  cross, 
erected  by  Piquet,  the  French  priest,  and  on  a  tall 
pole  hung  the  tattered  arms  of  France.  The  scene 
was  one  of  unutterable  loneliness  and  desolation, 
and  it  must  be  confessed  that  something  like  a  shiver 
went  over  Dave  as  he  gazed  upon  it. 

"  This  shows  what  war  will  do,"  he  said,  to  a 
comrade  standing  near.  "  Think  of  how  prosperous 
a  trading  post  Oswego  was  three  years  ago,  and 
now  look  at  this.  Why  even  a  wild  animal  would 

327 


228  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

shun  the  spot — after  those  skeletons  were  picked 
clean." 

"  True  for  you,  lad,"  was  the  answer.  "  But  I 
don't  think  it  will  be  that  way  again.  General 
Prideaux  means  business,  and  so  does  General  John- 
son, and  the  French  will  have  to  do  some  tall  fighting 
to  win  out  now." 

The  first  of  the  soldiers  arrived  on  the  site  of 
Oswego  about  the  middle  of  June,  and  it  was  only 
a  few  days  later  the  remainder  of  the  army  came  up 
from  Lake  Oneida  bringing  the  stores  and  baggage, 
including  a  great  many  barrels  of  pork,  which  in 
those  days  formed  a  staple  article  of  soldiers'  diet. 

Dave  was  anxious  to  see  Henry  and  Barringford 
again,  and  when  the  last  of  the  soldiers  came  up  and 
went  into  camp  not  far  from  the  lake  and  the  river, 
he  hurried  in  that  direction  as  soon  as  he  was  off 
duty. 

"  Oh,  Sam !  "  he  cried,  when  he  caught  sight  of 
the  old  frontiersman  and  saw  the  serious  look  on 
his  face.  "  Where's  Henry  ?  " 

"  I  can't  tell  you,  Dave." 

"Can't  tell?" 

"  No,  lad.  After  we  went  ashore  at  Lake  Oneida 
he  disappeared  like  as  if  the  earth  had  opened  and 
swallowed  him  up." 

"But — but  didn't  you  look  for  him?" 


A   STORM    ON   LAKE   ONTARIO  229 

"  Dave  you  oughter  know  better  nor  to  ask  sech 
a  question.  Look  ?  Why,  I  tramped  miles  an'  miles 
a-looking  fer  him, — an'  fer  them  Injuns.  But  the 
redskins  got  away,  and  we  couldn't  find  Henry,  alive 
or  dead." 

"  Then  they  must  have  taken  him  prisoner." 

"  Thet's  it,  unless " 

"Unless  what,  Sam?" 

"  Wall,  I  don't  like  to  say,  lad.  Let  us  hope  fer 
the  best." 

"  You  mean  they  might  have  killed  him  and 
thrown  his  body  into  the  lake?  " 

"  Yes." 

Dave  drew  a  long  breath.  The  thought  was  a 
horrible  one.  He  shook  his  head  dismally. 

"  You  didn't  hear  any  shots,  or  any  struggling?  " 

"  Nary  a  sound,  Dave.  We  went  along  as  silently 
as  ghosts  and  with  our  ears  wide  open.  I  know 
Henry  was  along  when  we  moved  up  the  lake,  but 
I  missed  him  jest  as  soon  as  we  turned  to  come  back. 
He  had  been  next  to  the  lake  front  and  I  walked  over 
to  find  out  if  he  had  seen  anything  of  the  Injuns. 
But  he  was  gone — and  that  was  the  end  of  it — al- 
though I  and  the  others  hunted  around  until  we 
simply  had  to  give  it  up  and  come  back  to  report." 

It  was  dismal  news,  and  all  Barringford  could 
do  did  not  cheer  Dave  up.  "  First  it  was  little  Nell 


MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

and  now  it's  Henry,"  he  said,  soberly.     "  If  neither 
of  them  return  what  will  Aunt  Lucy  say  ?  " 

As  soon  as  the  army  was  settled  at  Oswego  Gen- 
eral Prideaux  had  all  of  the  batteaux  and  other  boats 
made  ready  for  the  trip  along  the  lake  shore  to  Fort 
Niagara,  a  distance  of  about  a  hundred  and  thirty 
miles.  In  the  meantime  Colonel  Haldimand  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  garrison  to  be  left  at  Oswego, 
with  orders  to  rebuild  the  fort,  and  otherwise 
strengthen  the  place,  as  speedily  as  possible.  Haldi- 
mand, who  during  the  Revolution  became  Governor 
of  Canada,  was  an  able  and  energetic  officer,  and 
went  about  the  work  assigned  to  him  without  delay. 
Soon  the  ring  of  the  axe  was  heard  in  the  forest  and 
the  big  timbers  for  the  new  fort  were  being  brought 
out  as  fast  as  the  pioneer-soldiers  could  handle  them. 

Prideaux  had  expected  to  embark  for  Niagara 
within  a  few  days  after  reaching  Oswego  where  he 
was  joined  by  Johnson  with  his  seven  hundred  In- 
dians, but  numerous  delays  occurred  and  it  was  not 
until  the  first  of  July  that  his  novel  flotilla  of  boats, 
batteaux,  and  canoes  set  sail  westward  over  the 
mighty  waters  of  Lake  Ontario.  All  the  time  that 
the  army  was  at  Oswego  a  sharp  lookout  was  kept 
for  the  possible  appearance  of  French  ships  of  war, 
or  of  transports  carrying  French  troops,  but  none 
came  in  sight. 


A  STORM    ON   LAKE   ONTARIO  23! 

"  Not  a  sail  in  sight  anywhere,"  said  Dave  to 
Schnitzer  one  day,  when  the  two  were  at  the  beach. 
"  If  the  French  are  near  they  are  keeping  themselves 
well  hidden." 

"  Maybe  da  vos  vaiting  for  a  chanct  to  cotch  us 
nabbing,"  answered  the  Dutch  soldier.  "  Dose 
Frenchers  peen  mighty  schmart  let  me  tole  you.  Of 
da  don't  vos  schmart  den  dis  var  vouldn't  peen  so 
long  vinded,  hey  ?  " 

"  Oh,  they  know  what  they  are  doing,  no  doubt  of 
that.  I  wouldn't  be  surprised  if  they  attacked 
Colonel  Haldimand  after  we  go  away." 

"  Yah,  dot  is  it,  Tave — da  vaits  bis  ve  peen  sphlit 
by  two  bieces  und  den  da  fights  first  one  bard  und 
den  der  udder  bard — und  ve  peen  licked  our  poots 
out,  hey — maybe — of  da  peen  schmart  enough." 
And  Hans  Schnitzer  nodded  his  shaggy  head  vigor- 
ously. 

Dave  had  been  wondering  if  he  would  be  ordered 
to  remain  behind  with  those  left  at  Oswego  or  if 
he  was  to  go  forward  to  Fort  Niagara.  He  half 
wished  he  would  be  told  to  remain  behind,  that  he 
might  have  a  chance  to  go  in  search  of  Henry. 

But  this  was  not  to  be,  and  a  few  days  later  came 
word  that  the  company  to  which  he  belonged  would 
go  forward  under  General  Prideaux. 

"  But  I'm  a-going  to  be  left  behind,"  said  Sam 


232  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Barringford.  "  I've  got  orders  to  take  charge  o* 
the  sharpshooters  as  is  going  to  watch  out  here  while 
Colonel  Haldimand  rebuilds  the  old  fort." 

"  Oh  Sam,  if  you  stay  behind,  won't  you  keep  an 
eye  open  for  Henry?  " 

"  To  be  sure  I  will,  lad— thought  o'  thet  myself." 

"  Do  you  think  those  Indians  are  still  sneaking 
around  ?  " 

"  More'n  likely  not,  Dave.  Not  if  they  war 
French  spies.  They've  gone  across  the  lake  to  give 
warning  of  our  coming." 

"  If  they  had  Henry  a  prisoner  they  would  take 
him  along." 

"  Yes, — or  worse." 

Dave  shook  his  head  sadly,  and  went  about  his 
work,  which  was  to  see  to  the  loading  of  two  bat- 
teaux,  that  were  piled  high  with  utensils  belonging 
to  the  culinary  department  of  the  army — for  sol- 
diers, like  ordinary  mortals,  must  eat  and  if  they 
are  not  served  properly  there  is  apt  to  be  a  good  deal 
of  grumbling. 

One  day  later  the  army  was  off,  in  a  long  string 
of  batteaux  and  other  craft  stretching  out  a  dis- 
tance of  over  a  mile.  It  was  truly  an  imposing 
sight,  for  the  leading  batteau  was  flying  the  flag  of 
England,  and  other  banners  were  by  no  means  lack- 
ing. There  was  music,  too,  to  lighten  up  the  hearts 


A   STORM    ON    LAKE   ONTARIO 

of  the  soldiers,  and  ringing  cheers  for  good  luck  to 
the  enterprise. 

It  was  General  Prideaux's  plan  to  hug  the  shore  of 
the  lake,  consequently  the  trip  would  be  a  little 
longer  than  if  they  sailed  in  a  direct  line  from  Os- 
wego  to  what  is  now  the  coast  town  of  Carlton. 
The  reason  for  hugging  the  shore  was,  that  the 
French  might  swoop  down  upon  the  flotilla  at  any 
moment  when  out  of  sight  of  land,  whereas,  if  the 
English  kept  close  to  shore,  they  could  at  any  mo- 
ment turn  into  one  of  the  numerous  bays  or  creeks, 
and  there  hide  or  throw  up  a  temporary  defense. 

The  southern  shore  of  Lake  Ontario  is  to-day 
dotted  with  villages  and  towns,  but  when  General 
Prideaux's  army  sailed  along  this  coast  it  showed 
an  almost  unbroken  front  of  gigantic  timber,  rough 
rocks  and  stretches  of  sandy  waste.  Here  and  there 
was  an  Indian  village,  but  the  warriors  were  away, 
either  with  the  French  or  the  English. 

Much  to  Dave's  disgust  Lieutenant  Naster  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  batteau,  which  contained  be- 
sides Dave  several  soldiers  who  were  hardly  known 
to  our  young  soldier.  When  Naster  saw  Dave,  he 
scowled  but  said  nothing. 

"  He  has  it  in  for  me,  that's  certain,"  thought 
Dave.  "  I'll  have  to  keep  my  eyes  wide  open." 

"  I  want  none  of  your  laziness,"  said  the  lieuten- 


234  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

ant,  to  Dave,  an  hour  later,  and  when  all  hands  were 
resting  on  the  oars.  "I  see  you  are  not  pulling  as 
well  as  the  others,  and  it  won't  do." 

"  I  thought  I  was  doing  my  full  share,"  answered 
Dave. 

"  Hi  don't  answer  back,  boy !    Do  as  I  tell  you !  " 

In  a  few  minutes  the  rowing  was  resumed.  One 
of  the  soldiers,  unnoticed  by  the  lieutenant,  winked 
at  Dave. 

"  He's  a  regular  bear,"  he  whispered.  "  Look 
out,  or  he'll  make  trouble  for  you." 

"  He's  tried  to  make  trouble  for  me  before,"  an- 
swered Dave,  in  an  equally  low  tone.  "  He  doesn't 
like  me  because  I  stood  up  for  old  Campwell  when 
he  was  browbeating  the  man." 

"  Oh,  so  you  were  the  soldier  who  interfered,  eh  ? 
I  heard  of  that  case.  They  say " 

"  Silence  over  here,  and  attend  to  your  rowing !  " 
shouted  the  lieutenant  from  his  comfortable  seat  in 
the  stern.  "  Don't  you  see  how  we  are  lagging  be- 
hind? Pull  up  there,  all  of  you,  or  somebody  will 
get  the  lash  to-night,  instead  of  his  supper." 

After  that  but  little  was  said,  and  the  rowing 
continued  steadily  until  noon,  when  a  brief  halt  was 
made  for  dinner.  The  lake  was  almost  like  glass, 
so  that  while  some  of  the  batteaux  drifted  together, 
no  damage  was  done. 


A  STORM   ON   LAKE  ONTARIO  235 

"  If  I  know  anything  about  it,  this  weather  won't 
last,"  said  one  of  the  soldiers,  after  a  careful  survey 
of  the  sky. 

"  It  looks  like  a  storm  to  me,  too,"  said  Dave. 
"  But  it  may  blow  around  before  it  reaches  here." 

Yet  the  day  passed  without  the  storm  coming, 
and  that  night  the  occupants  of  the  batteaux  slept 
soundly  on  the  shore  of  a  tiny  bay  opening  up  from 
the  lake.  At  sunrise  the  army  was  again  in  motion 
and  once  again  the  flotilla  continued  its  journey 
westward. 

Several  soldiers  who  had  been  taken  sick  on  the 
march  to  Oswego  had  been  left  behind,  but  now 
others  were  overcome  by  the  heat  and  the  glare  of 
the  sun  on  the  water,  and  one  batteau  had  to  be 
turned  into  a  floating  hospital.  At  one  time  Dave 
himself  felt  dizzy,  but  he  said  nothing,  for  he  well 
knew  that  Lieutenant  Naster  would  have  no  mercy 
on  him,  sick  or  well. 

The  sun  had  come  up  over  the  water  like  a  great 
ball  of  fire  and  by  nine  o'clock  the  day  promised  to 
prove  more  than  usually  hot.  But  an  hour  later 
the  clouds  began  to  show  up  in  the  west  and  it  be- 
came rapidly  cooler. 

"  We're  in  for  that  storm  now,"  said  a  soldier  to 
Dave.  "  See  how  the  wind  is  rising." 

"  Yes,  and  we  are  pretty  far  out  from  land  now, 


MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

too,"  added  Dave.    "  I  reckon  we  ought  to  turn  in." 

One  of  the  soldiers  appealed  to  the  lieutenant,  but 
he  would  not  listen  to  advice.  "  Straight  ahead," 
he  roared.  "  You  only  want  to  go  in  that  you  may 
rest.  We  have  no  time  to  fool  away.  A  little  rain 
won't  hurt  anybody." 

The  wind  rapidly  increased  in  violence,  and  soon 
the  black  clouds  overshadowed  the  sun,  making  the 
surface  of  the  lake  dark  and  ominous  looking.  Then 
came  a  gust  that  whirled  the  batteau  around  in  spite 
of  all  the  rowers  could  do  to  keep  the  craft  up  to  the 
wind.  The  waves  dashed  up,  drenching  everybody. 

"  Oh ! "  cried  Lieutenant  Naster,  for  he  had  re- 
ceived some  of  the  water  full  in  the  face.  "  Steady 
there,  you  fools !  Don't  let  her  swing  around !  " 

"If  we  don't  pull  to  shore  we'll  be  swamped!" 
cried  one  of  the  soldiers.  "  I  was  a  sailor  for  six 
years  and  I  know  this  is  going  to  be  a  big  blow. 
Give  the  order,  lieutenant,  unless  ye  want  to  see 
bottom  putty  quick." 

At  these  words  Lieutenant  Naster  turned  pale. 
"  Very  well,  turn  about  and  pull  for  the  shore,"  he 
said.  "  And  don't  lose  time,"  he  added,  as  he  saw 
the  white  caps  chasing  madly  toward  them. 

With  much  difficulty  the  clumsy  batteau  was 
swung  around  and  the  journey  shoreward  began. 
But  valuable  time  had  been  lost,  and  now  the  rain 


"Bail  her  out,"  roared  the  lieutenant.  —  Page  237. 


A   STORM    ON   LAKE   ONTARIO  237 

came  down  in  a  deluge,  shutting  out  the  view  on 
every  side.  The  wind  whistled  a  gale  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  downpour  came  a  vivid  flash  of  light- 
ning and  a  crack  of  thunder  that  was  deafening. 

As  much  for  his  own  safety  as  for  the  others, 
Dave  bent  to  his  oar  with  a  will,  pulling  with  might 
and  main.  The  sight  of  land  was  now  shut  out 
and  the  task  was  therefore  a  blind  one.  On  they 
went,  the  wind  blowing  the  waves  into  the  batteau 
until  the  craft  was  speedily  in  danger  of  becoming 
waterlogged. 

"  Bail  her  out ! "  roared  the  lieutenant,  who  was 
now  as  much  alarmed  as  anyone.  "  Bail  her  out,  or 
we'll  go  to  the  bottom !  " 

"  Bail  her  out  yourself;  "  came  a  voice  from  the 
front  of  the  craft.  "  None  of  us  can  leave  the  oars. 
Pull  away,  boys, — it's  our  only  chance !  " 

It  was  the  man  who  had  been  a  sailor  who  spoke, 
and  all  the  other  soldiers  obeyed  him,  leaving  the 
lieutenant  to  take  up  an  iron  dipper  and  begin  the 
bailing  as  best  he  could. 

A  moment  later  came  a  wild  cry  from  beyond  the 
batteau.  "  Look  out,  you  are  running  into  us !  Back 
water ! "  The  cry  was  followed  by  a  thump  and  a 
crash  and  half  a  dozen  yells  of  pain,  and  then  ensued 
a  wild  scramble  for  safety,  for  two  of  the  batteaux 
had  come  together  with  such  force  that  the  bottom 


238  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

of  each  was  broken  away  on  one  side,  letting  in  the 
lake  water  with  a  rush. 

When  the  collision  came  Dave  was  thrown  over 
backward,  into  the  lap  of  the  soldier  who  had  once 
been  a  sailor.  Each  clutched  the  other,  and  both 
struggled  to  their  feet  wondering  what  would  happen 
next.  Then  the  batteau  began  to  settle  and  in  a  mo- 
ment more  Dave  found  himself  struggling  in  the 
waters  of  Lake  Ontario. 


CHAPTER  XXVI  ; 

THE   ATTACK   AT   OSWEGO 

"  I  WONDER  when  this  will  end?  " 

Such  was  the  question  which  Henry  asked  him- 
self, after  he  had  been  a  prisoner  of  the  Indians  for  a 
week  and  more. 

The  warriors  had  marched  him  to  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  lake,  and  here  he  had  been  left  in  charge 
of  two  young  warriors  while  the  balance  of  the  party 
had  taken  canoes  and  disappeared  in  the  direction  of 
Frontenac. 

The  days  had  passed  slowly.  The  warriors  had 
found  something  of  a  cave  fronting  the  lake  shore 
and  Henry  had  been  placed  in  this.  His  hands  were 
bound  behind  him  almost  constantly,  they  being  re- 
leased only  when  he  was  eating  or  when  both  of 
his  captors  were  at  hand  with  their  guns  to  watch 
him. 

The  young  soldier  often  wondered  what  had  be- 
come of  Sam  Barring-ford  and  the  others  who  had 
been  in  the  party  that  had  landed  on  the  shore  of 
Lake  Oneida.  Had  they  too  been  captured  and  car- 
ried off,  or  had  they  been  killed? 

239 


24O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  Sam  ought  to  have  been  able  to  follow  their 
trail,"  he  reasoned.  He  did  not  know  that  the  trail 
had  been  followed  as  far  as  the  stream  where  the 
Indians  had  first  brought  forth  their  hidden  canoes. 

In  the  meantime  the  Indians  had  gone  to  Saint  Luc 
de  la  Corne  and  explained  the  situation  to  him.  The 
French  commander  at  once  gathered  together  twelve 
hundred  men,  consisting  of  Canadian  pioneers  and 
Indians,  and  set  out  to  do  the  English  battle.  He 
felt  that  a  force  would  be  left  behind  at  Oswego  and 
this  he  determined  to  annihilate  as  soon  as  General 
Prideaux  had  gone  on  with  the  main  portion  of  the 
English  army. 

The  coming  of  over  a  hundred  Indians  to  the 
camp  on  the  lake  front  surprised  Henry  and  he 
wondered  what  was  in  the  wind.  But  he  soon  found 
out,  for  several  of  the  newcomers  could  talk  English 
and  they  did  not  hesitate  to  speak  of  the  contem- 
plated attack  on  Colonel  Haldimand's  command,  and 
of  their  high  hopes  of  again  laying  Fort  Oswego  in 
ashes  and  scalping  all  who  should  remain  to  defend 
it. 

After  hearing  this  talk  Henry  burnt  with  a  desire 
to  obtain  his  freedom  and  warn  Haldimand  of  what 
was  coming.  For  this  purpose  he  resorted  to  a  ruse 
which  worked  better  than  he  anticipated.  He  pre- 
tended to  be  very  sick  and  whenever  the  Indians 


THE   ATTACK   AT   OSWEGO  24! 

came  near  groaned  dismally  and  put  his  hand  to  his 
head  and  then  to  his  breast  as  if  in  intense  pain. 

At  first  the  warriors  paid  no  attention,  for  they 
did  not  care  how  much  he  suffered.  But  after  re- 
leasing him  during  meal  time,  they  grew  careless 
about  tying  him  up  again,  and  left  him  to  roll  upon 
the  ground  as  he  pleased.  He  now  pretended  to  be 
sicker  than  ever  and  crawled  over  to  a  nearby  pool 
of  water,  where  he  bathed  his  head  and  then  lay 
down  as  if  utterly  exhausted. 

Behind  the  pool  was  a  clump  of  bushes,  and  back 
of  this  a  stretch  of  dense  timber.  Once  in  the  timber 
he  felt  that  he  could  hide  until  nightfall  and  then 
make  his  way  down  the  lake  shore  in  the  direction  of 
Fort  Oswego.  Perhaps  he  might  even  find  a  canoe, 
for  the  Indians  had  a  large  number  of  these  craft, 
hidden  in  various  coves  and  creeks. 

Henry  had  to  move  with  extreme  caution,  for  he 
realized  that  one  mistake  might  cost  him  his  life. 
Once  or  twice  he  saw  the  warriors  gaze  toward  him 
and  each  time  he  led  them  to  believe  that  he  was  in 
as  great  a  pain  as  ever. 

Presently  there  was  a  shouting  at  the  lake  front, 
announcing  the  arrival  of  more  Indians,  and  all  of 
the  warriors  on  land  looked  in  that  direction.  Now 
was  his  chance,  and  with  the  swiftness  of  a  deer  re- 
leased from  a  trap  he  leaped  across  the  pool  and 


242  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

dove  into  the  clump  of  bushes.  He  did  not  stop,  but 
at  the  risk  of  scratching  himself  in  a  dozen  places, 
tore  his  way  along  into  the  timber  and  went  on  and 
on,  pell-mell,  fetching  up  against  more  than  one 
tree  and  tripping  over  one  big  root  after  another. 
Once  he  went  into  a  hole  up  to  his  knee  and  came 
close  to  breaking  his  leg,  which,  in  the  end,  would 
undoubtedly  have  cost  him  his  life.  But  he  freed 
himself  and  did  not  stop  but  continued  his  course, 
limping  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  forest. 

A  yell  of  rage  told  him  that  his  escape  was  dis- 
covered, and  soon  he  heard  several  Indians  thrashing 
around  through  the  brushwood,  while  others  spread 
out  for  a  search  through  the  forest.  There  was  no 
doubt  but  that  they  meant  to  re-take  him  were  such 
a  thing  possible. 

"  But  they  shan't  do  it,"  he  muttered,  through  his 
set  teeth.  "  I  must  get  away  somehow !  " 

When  half  a  mile  had  been  covered  he  was  sur- 
prised to  find  himself  within  sight  of  the  lake.  At 
first  he  imagined  that  he  had  gone  around  in  a  circle 
and  brought  up  at  the  point  from  which  he  had 
started,  but  soon  he  saw  that  the  spot  was  a  strange 
one,  some  distance  south  of  the  Indian  camp. 

His  injured  shin  hurt  him  not  a  little  and  he  was 
glad  enough  to  plunge  into  the  water  up  to  his  knees. 
He  had  come  out  on  a  little  bay  and  here  several 


THE  ATTACK  AT   OSWEGO  243 

overhanging  trees  and  bushes  afforded  him  good 
shelter.  He  secreted  himself  as  best  he  could  and 
awaited  developments. 

The  Indians  came  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the 
spot,  but  no  closer,  and  before  nightfall  he  was  left 
entirely  alone.  By  this  time  the  scraped  shin  felt 
better,  and  he  waded  out  to  the  lake  proper,  the  water 
being  scarcely  up  to  his  knees. 

As  night  drew  on,  he  could  see  a  faint  light  up  the 
shore,  which  told  him  where  the  Indian  camp  lay. 
All  around  him  was  silent  and  deserted,  only  the 
occasional  cry  of  a  bird  breaking  the  stillness. 

Henry  felt  that  he  must  get  some  sleep,  or  he 
would  be  unable  to  undertake  the  journey  toward 
Oswego  in  the  morning,  and  with  this  in  view 
sought  out  a  comfortable  spot  where  he  might  lie 
down.  Nothing  came  to  disturb  him  during  the 
night,  and  by  sunrise  he  arose  feeling  decidedly 
refreshed. 

A  storm  was  approaching — the  same  which  was 
to  prove  so  disastrous  to  the  batteaux  on  the  lake, 
and  Henry  had  not  covered  many  miles  along  the 
lake  front  when  it  burst  on  him  in  all  of  its  fury, 
causing  him  to  seek  shelter  under  a  cliff  of  rocks 
some  distance  away  from  the  water.  The  lightning 
was  sharp  and  he  heard  more  than  one  tree  in  the 
forest  go  down  with  a  crash.  But  the  storm  did  not 


244  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

last  in  that  vicinity,  and  in  two  hours  it  was  over, 
although  the  drifting  clouds  still  hid  the  sun  from 
view. 

The  storm  proved  a  great  blessing  to  Henry,  for 
after  it  was  over  he  came  across  two  squirrels  that 
had  been  killed  by  it  and  also  a  number  of  birds. 
He  had  not  had  a  mouthful  to  eat  for  twenty-four 
hours  and  he  now  set  about  making  himself  a  fire  and 
cooking  the  game.  He  had  a  flint  and  steel,  which 
the  Indians  had  not  taken  from  him,  and  soon  he 
had  a  blaze  in  a  hollow,  where  it  would  not  be 
noticed. 

Having  satisfied  the  cravings  of  his  stomach,  he 
renewed  his  journey  along  the  lake  front.  The 
storm  had  washed  a  number  of  things  ashore  and 
presently  he  came  upon  an  upturned  Indian  canoe, 
one  of  the  rougher  sort,  made  of  a  hollowed-out  log. 

"  Hullo,  that's  better  than  nothing,"  he  told  him- 
self, and  righted  the  canoe,  although  not  without 
difficulty.  There  was  also  a  paddle  on  the  beach, 
and  soon  he  was  on  board  the  craft  and  paddling 
southward  with  all  the  skill  he  could  command. 

As  he  moved  over  the  waters  of  the  lake  he  kept 
his  eyes  behind  as  well  as  in  front  of  him,  wondering 
if  the  Indians  would  discover  what  he  was  doing. 
But  they  were  out  of  sight,  nor  did  a  single  warrior 
show  himself  anywhere. 


THE   ATTACK   AT   OSWEGO  245 

It  was  growing  dark  again  when  Henry  brought 
his  canoe  to  a  sudden  stop  and  then  turned  hastily 
shoreward.  Far  ahead  he  had  seen  another  craft, 
holding  two  men.  That  they  were  whites  he  was 
sure,  but  whether  French  or  English  was  still  to  be 
determined.  He  moved  his  canoe  into  a  cove,  and  se- 
creting himself  in  the  bushes  awaited  the  approach 
of  the  strangers. 

Soon  the  boat  came  close  enough  for  him  to  make 
out  the  voices  of  the  newcomers.  One  voice  sounded 
strangely  familiar,  and  peering  through  the  bushes 
Henry  was  overjoyed  to  recognize  Sam  Barring- 
ford,  who  was  sitting  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  rifle 
in  hand,  while  his  companion  was  rowing. 

"  Sam !  Sam !  "  he  cried,  as  he  rushed  forward. 
"  Oh,  Sam,  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you !  " 

"  Well,  by  the  eternal,  ef  it  ain't  Henry !  "  shouted 
the  frontiersman,  in  almost  equal  joy.  "  This  is 
dumb  luck  an'  no  mistake.  Why,  me  and  Gangley 
came  out  on  purpose  to  see  ef  we  couldn't  find  out 
what  had  become  of  ye!  Are  ye  alone?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Any  Injuns  about  here?  " 

"  There  are  a  number  up  the  shore — about  ten  or 
fifteen  miles  from  here." 

The  boat  was  turned  into  the  cove  and  soon  Henry 
and  his  old  friend  were  shaking  hands,  and  then  the 


246  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

young  soldier  shook  hands  with  Gangley,  who  was 
an  old  hunter  from  Pennsylvania.  The  youth  told 
his  story  in  full,  to  which  the  others  listened  closely. 

"  I  reckon  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  git  back 
and  tell  Colonel  Haldimand  how  matters  stand," 
said  Barringford.  "If  the  French  are  a-coming 
this  way  he'll  want  to  know  it." 

The  craft  Barringford  and  Gangley  occupied  was 
large  enough  for  three  persons  and  soon  Henry  was 
on  board.  Then  the  boat  was  turned  about  and  the 
trip  to  Oswego  began. 

On  the  way  Barringford  told  about  Dave's  de- 
parture with  the  force  under  General  Prideaux.  He 
also  asked  if  Henry  had  learned  anything  concern- 
ing little  Nell. 

"  Not  a  word,  although  I  questioned  the  Indians 
all  I  could,"  answered  the  youth. 

Gangley  was  an  expert  at  handling  a  small  boat 
and  the  craft  fairly  flew  through  the  water  under  his 
command  and  by  the  united  efforts  of  those  on 
board. 

They  were  just  coming  in  sight  of  the  fort  at  Os- 
wego when  the  sounds  of  distant  firing  reached  their 
ears.  At  first  there  were  a  few  scattering  shots,  fol- 
lowed, some  minutes  later,  by  a  regular  volley. 

"  The  French  have  arrived ! "  cried  Henry. 
"  That's  a  regular  battle !  " 


THE   ATTACK   AT   OSWEGO  247 

"  Right  you  are,  lad,"  returned  the  frontiers- 
man. "  See,  there  are  their  boats — a  goodly  num- 
ber of  'em,  too !  " 

"What  shall  we  do?" 

"  Better  land  up  the  shore  a  bit  and  take  to  the 
woods.  It  won't  do  for  us  to  show  ourselves  in  the 
open  down  there — they'd  pick  us  off  in  no  time." 

Gangley  also  agreed  that  this  was  best,  and 
the  boat  was  immediately  turned  toward  shore. 
They  leaped  out  without  delay,  and  hiding  the  craft, 
proceeded  without  loss  of  time  in  the  direction  from 
whence  the  shots  had  come. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

NEWS   OF   IMPORTANCE 

WHEN  General  Prideaux  left  Oswego  for  Fort 
Niagara  he  was  well  aware  that  the  French  would 
more  than  likely  make  an  attack  on  the  new  fort 
Colonel  Haldimand  was  building,  consequently,  he 
cautioned  that  officer  to  be  on  his  guard  at  all  hours 
of  the  day  and  night. 

But  Haldimand  needed  no  word  of  warning.  His 
military  training  was  of  a  high  order,  and  the  very 
first  thing  he  did  before  setting  his  men  to  work 
to  cut  logs  for  the  new  fort  was  to  have  them 
arrange  the  pork  barrels,  containing  a  large  portion 
of  their  food,  in  a  circle,  and  outside  of  this  lay  a 
dense  mass  of  brushwood  in  such  a  fashion  that  to 
climb  over  or  through  it  would  be  no  easy  task. 

This  "  pork  fort  "  as  it  was  called  later  on,  caused 
many  a  laugh,  yet  it  proved  no  mean  defense,  as  we 
shall  soon  see.  Behind  the  barrels  Haldimand 
planted  such  cannon  as  Prideaux  had  left  him;  and 
then  went  to  work  to  build  the  fort  proper  without 
loss  of  time. 

248 


NEWS   OF   IMPORTANCE  249 

The  French  came  over  the  lake  with  as  much  se- 
crecy as  possible.  In  the  darkness  they  landed  be- 
hind some  brushwood  and  tall  timber  and  took  up 
what  they  thought  was  a  position  of  advantage. 

The  battle  began  the  next  day,  while  the  English 
were  hard  at  work  chopping  down  trees  and  cutting 
them  up  into  proper  sizes  for  the  new  fort.  A  scout 
gave  the  alarm  and  this  was  immediately  followed 
by  several  shots  from  the  French  and  the  blood- 
curdling war-cry  of  the  hostile  Indians. 

Realizing  at  once  that  the  enemy  had  tried  to  steal 
a  march  on  him,  Haldimand  ordered  his  command 
to  stop  work  and  make  for  the  "  pork  fort."  Drop- 
ping their  axes,  the  soldiers  and  pioneers  seized  their 
guns  and  ran  for  the  shelter  of  barrels  and  brush- 
wood. Several  were  wounded,  one  seriously,  and 
seeing  this,  the  command  was  given  to  fire  in  return, 
and  something  of  a  pitched  battle  occurred.  But 
the  Frenchmen  between  the  English  and  the  im- 
provised fort  were  easily  scattered,  and  then  Haldi- 
mand brought  up  his  troops  inside  the  barrel  barri- 
cade and  manned  his  guns  with  such  vigor  that  all 
of  the  enemy  lost  no  time  in  seeking  the  shelter 
of  the  forest  so  close  at  hand. 

It  was  this  first  encounter  which  reached  the  ears 
of  Henry  and  his  friends.  By  the  time  they  were 
on  shore  the  firing  had  ceased  and  utter  silence  pre- 


25O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

vailed  as  they  crept  slowly  forward  in  the  direction 
of  Haldimand's  command. 

"  Do  you  think  it  possible  that  the  French  have 
withdrawn  ?  "  asked  Henry,  presently,  as  Barring- 
ford  put  up  his  hand  as  a  signal  to  halt. 

"  I  think  they  are  up  to  some  trick,"  was  the  low 
answer.  "  Hist !  down  with  ye !  " 

Barringford  had  seen  a  tall  French  soldier  moving 
toward  them.  The  fellow  was  a  sharpshooter  and 
carried  his  rifle  ready  for  immediate  use. 

The  soldier  was  coming  directly  toward  them 
and  in  a  moment  more  Henry  felt  they  would  be 
discovered.  Then,  without  warning,  Barringford 
leaped  forward  like  a  lightning  flash,  caught  the  sol- 
dier by  the  throat,  and  bore  him  to  the  ground. 

Before  Henry  could  recover  from  his  bewilder- 
ment it  was  all  over,  and  the  soldier  lay  flat  on  his 
back,  for  in  going  over  his  head  had  struck  on  a 
sharp  rock,  rendering  him  unconscious.  Barring- 
ford  took  the  man's  gun  and  his  ammunition  box 
and  handed  them  to  the  youth.  "  Now  you're  armed 
as  good  as  any  o'  us,"  he  whispered.  "  It's  lucky 
I  cotched  him  jest  right,  otherwise  we  might  have 
had  to  do  some  powerful  rasselin',  eh?  Come." 

Once  again  they  moved  forward,  until  they  felt 
the  barricade  of  pork  barrels  could  not  be  more  than 


NEWS   OF    IMPORTANCE 

a  hundred  yards  distant.  Then  a  fresh  firing  broke 
out  on  their  left,  and  soon  fifty  or  more  French  sol- 
diers hove  into  sight  as  they  were  making  a  detour 
from  one  side  of  Haldimand's  defense  to  the  other. 

"  Come,  we  must  get  out  of  here !  "  shouted  Bar- 
ringford,  and  as  the  enemy  came  closer,  he  fired  at 
the  leading  soldier.  Henry  and  Gangley  also 
emptied  their  pieces  and  three  of  the  enemy  went 
down,  all  badly  wounded. 

Running  with  all  possible  swiftness,  our  friends 
soon  reached  a  point  where  they  could  see  some  of 
the  pork  barrels.  Barringford  held  up  his  hands 
and  was  recognized. 

"  Come  in !  "  was  the  cry.  "  Don't  stay  out 
there!"  And  then  the  three  went  forward  again. 
But  the  French  had  also  noticed  them  and  half  a 
score  of  rifles  were  turned  in  that  direction.  Henry 
felt  a  bullet  sing  unpleasantly  close  to  his  head  and 
then  saw  Barringford,  who  was  close  beside  him, 
stagger  and  go  down  in  a  heap. 

"  Oh,  Sam !  "  he  cried,  in  deep  horror,  "  are  you 
hit?" 

There  was  no  reply  to  this,  and  Henry  saw  the 
blood  beginning  to  show  itself  around  the  old  hun- 
ter's neck.  In  desperation  he  caught  up  Barring- 
ford's  body  and  commenced  to  drag  it  to  the  en- 


MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

trance  between  the  pork  barrels.  Gangley  assisted 
him  and  soon  they  were  behind  the  temporary  shelter 
with  their  burden. 

"  I  hope  he  isn't  dead  ?  "  said  Henry,  as  he  sur- 
veyed the  motionless  form.  "  Isn't  there  a  surgeon 
handy?" 

A  medical  officer  soon  appeared,  and  Barringford 
was  carried  to  an  improvised  hospital  but  a  short 
distance  away,  and  here  the  medical  man  made  a 
hasty  examination. 

"  He  isn't  dead,  but  he's  pretty  hard  hit,"  was  the 
surgeon's  conclusion.  "  I'll  do  what  I  can  for  him. 
No,  you  can't  help  me.  Better  go  to  the  front  and 
do  your  duty.  There  is  no  telling  how  strong  the 
French  are,  and  if  they  defeat  us,  you  know  what  we 
can  all  expect — a  dreary  life  in  a  Canadian  prison — 
or  worse." 

There  was  no  time  to  say  more,  for  the  shooting 
had  now  started  up  once  more.  It  came  from  three 
sides.  The  enemy  remained  hidden  behind  the  trees 
and  it  was  only  occasionally  that  the  English  could 
get  a  shot  in  return. 

"  Will  they  make  a  general  attack,  do  you  think?  " 
asked  Henry,  of  Gangley. 

"  That  depends  on  how  strong  they  are,"  was 
the  reply. 

It  was  a  fearfully  hot  day  and  those  behind  the 


NEWS   OF  IMPORTANCE 

improvised  fortification  suffered  much  both  from 
heat  and  thirst.  It  was  only  occasionally  that  a 
French  soldier  or  an  Indian  showed  himself  and 
often  he  was  picked  off  before  he  could  again  find 
shelter. 

Presently,  about  two  in  the  afternoon,  came  a 
fierce  yelling  of  Indians  to  the  west  of  the  fort,  and 
the  redskins  could  be  seen  moving  through  the 
forest,  although  they  took  care  not  to  expose  them- 
selves too  much  to  an  attack. 

"They  are  coming!"  was  the  cry. 

But  Haldimand  was  not  to  be  caught  by  any 
trick,  and  he  divided  his  force,  one  half  to  meet 
the  expected  attack  of  the  redmen  and  the  others 
to  guard  the  side  upon  which  the  French  were  still 
located. 

But  the  attack  did  not  come  off.  Not  over  a  score 
of  redmen  ran  out  into  the  open,  and  when  three 
of  these  were  stretched  lifeless  by  the  rangers,  or 
the  Royal  Americans,  as  they  were  officially  desig- 
nated, the  remainder  ran  back  with  all  possible 
speed. 

After  this  came  another  lull,  and  Henry  ran 
to  where  Barringford  had  been  placed.  He  found 
the  old  frontiersman  propped  up  against  some  brush- 
wood, over  which  a  pair  of  blankets  had  been 
spread.  He  tried  to  smile  at  the  youth. 


254  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  Got  it  putty  bad,"  said  Barringford,  in  a  low 
voice.  "  In — the — neck — can't  talk." 

"  Then  don't  say  another  word,  Sam,"  returned 
Henry  tenderly.  "  I  am  glad  to  learn  it's  no  worse. 
You  keep  quiet.  I  reckon  we  are  safe,  so  far;  "  and 
that  was  all  that  was  said  between  them. 

"  He'll  be  all  right  in  a  few  days,"  said  the  sur- 
geon. "  But  he  had  a  narrow  escape.  Had  the  bul- 
let cut  in  half  an  inch  deeper  it  would  have  gone 
through  his  windpipe" 

Slowly  the  hours  dragged  by  after  this,  with  only 
an  occasional  shot.  But  now  Haldimand  was  lay- 
ing his  plans  for  moving  on  the  enemy.  Some  guns 
were  brought  into  play  on  a  certain  bit  of  forest  be- 
fore the  pork  barrel  fort  and  when  these  were  dis- 
charged the  cries  that  followed  told  that  the  French 
had  been  taken  by  surprise. 

"  They  are  running  for  their  boats !  "  was  the 
announcement,  a  little  while  later.  "  They  are  on 
the  retreat !  " 

A  cheer  went  up  at  this  announcement,  and  re- 
gardless of  orders  some  of  the  rangers  leaped  out 
over  the  barrels  and  brushwood  and  made  after  the 
French,  who  seemed  to  have  suddenly  become  panic- 
stricken. 

It  was  seen  that  La  Corne  was  indeed  retreating. 
The  French  soldiers  and  the  Indians  were  running 


NEWS   OF   IMPORTANCE  255 

in  all  directions,  and  in  the  excitement  a  dozen  or 
more  were  sent  sprawling  on  the  shore. 

"  After  'em !  After  'em !  "  was  the  cry.  "  Don't 
let  'em  escape!"  And  then  came  the  rapid  crack- 
cracking  of  guns  and  rifles  and  long  pistols  and 
thirty  of  the  enemy  were  killed  and  wounded.  La 
Corne  was  struck  among  the  number,  but  not  seri- 
ously wounded. 

With  the  rangers  who  left  the  fort  was  Henry, 
and  soon  he  and  Gangley  and  four  other  pioneers 
were  hurrying  after  a  number  of  Indians  who  were 
fleeing  up  the  lake  shore.  These  were  the  redmen 
who  had  made  Henry  a  prisoner  and  he  was  anxious 
to  "  square  accounts  "  with  them. 

The  Indians  had  three  canoes  secreted  in  the 
bushes  and  they  were  anxious  to  gain  possession  of 
the  craft.  After  a  swift  run  of  ten  minutes  they 
came  in  sight  of  the  spot  where  the  canoes  were  lo- 
cated. But  now  the  rangers  opened  fire  on  them 
and  two  of  the  Indians  went  down,  both  wounded. 
The  Indians  returned  the  fire  with  a  rifle  shot  and 
several  arrows,  but  nobody  was  struck. 

"  They  shan't  git  away  so  easy !  "  cried  Gangley, 
and  as  the  redmen  leaped  into  their  canoes,  he  opened 
fire  again.  The  others  reloaded  with  all  speed,  and 
a  volley  was  delivered  as  the  light  craft  shot  out 
into  the  lake.  One  more  redman  was  brought  low 


256  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

and  fell  into  the  water  with  a  loud  splash,  and  then 
the  canoes  drew  out  of  range  with  all  possible  speed. 

The  Indian  who  had  fallen  into  the  water  was  a 
stranger  to  Henry.  He  was  not  seriously  wounded 
and  not  wishing  to  drown,  came  ashore,  although 
evidently  in  terror  of  the  whites. 

"  Don't  shoot  him !  "  cried  Henry,  as  two  of  the 
others  leveled  their  guns. 

"  Why  not  ? "  drawled  one  of  the  rangers. 
"  Reckon  as  how  he  desarves  it,  don't  he?  " 

"  I  want  to  question  him." 

In  a  few  minutes  more  the  Indian  was  a  prisoner, 
and  then  the  rangers  turned  their  attention  to  the 
pair  that  lay  wounded  some  distance  back.  One 
was  dying,  but  the  other  suffered  only  from  a  slight 
wound  in  the  leg.  The  dying  redman  was  left  where 
he  had  fallen  and  the  others  were  taken  back  to  the 
fort. 

It  was  not  until  some  time  later  that  Henry  got  a 
chance  to  question  the  captured  Indians.  One 
could  speak  fairly  good  English  but  it  was  only  with 
difficulty  that  the  young  soldier  could  make  him  tell 
anything  concerning  the  Indians  in  general  and  the 
prisoners  they  were  holding. 

But  after  Henry  had  taken  the  trouble  to  dress  the 
wounded  one's  hurt  and  had  supplied  him  with  water 
and  food,  the  redman's  tongue  became  loosened,  and 


NEWS   OF   IMPORTANCE  257 

he  listened  to  what  Henry  had  to  say  with  increased 
interest. 

"  Yes,  Missapaw  has  seen  the  little  girls,"  he  said. 
"  Two  are  of  the  same  birth,  and  the  other  is  called 
'  Nell/  " 

"  And  where  are  they  now  ?  "  demanded  Henry, 
eagerly. 

"  They  are  with  some  Indians  and  some  French 
traders,  in  the  west — at  the  mighty  fall  of  waters." 

"  You  mean  Niagara  Falls  ?  " 

The  Indian  nodded. 

"  And  who  are  the  French  traders  ?  " 

"  Missapaw  knows  but  one  of  them — a  trader  of 
the  Kinotah." 

"  What,  you  don't  mean  Jean  Bevoir?  "  cried  the 
young  soldier. 

"  Yes,  that  is  his  name." 

"  And  they  are  helping  the  Indians  to  hold  the 
little  girls  captive.  What  is  their  object  ?  " 

"  To  make  the  little  girls'  fathers  pay  well  for 
the  return  of  the  little  ones,"  was  the  answer. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

SOMETHING  ABOUT  FORT  NIAGARA 

WE  will  now  go  back  to  Dave,  at  the  time  he  was 
thrown  into  the  waters  of  the  lake,  in  the  midst  of 
the  storm. 

For  the  moment  after  the  waters  closed  over  him, 
the  young  soldier  was  too  bewildered  to  do  more 
than  throw  out  his  hands  wildly.  He  attempted  to 
cry  out,  and  the  water  rushed  into  his  mouth,  al- 
most drowning  him.  Then  he  spluttered  and 
struggled,  and  more  by  instinct  than  anything  else 
began  to  strike  out. 

When  he  came  up  he  took  a  fresh  breath  and 
dashed  the  water  from  his  eyes.  He  could  see  but 
little  in  the  darkness,  and  although  he  could  hear 
many  cries,  and  a  shout  or  two  from  distant  boats, 
yet  the  craft  remained  invisible  to  him. 

At  length  another  flash  of  lightning  showed  him 
that  one  batteau  had  gone  down  and  also  showed 
him  the  sailor-soldier  struggling  near  him. 

"  Hullo  there ! "  shouted  the  other,  whose  name 
was  Simon  Lapp.  "  Can  you  swim  ?  " 

"Yes,  but  not  extra  well,"  panted  Dave. 
•58 


SOMETHING   ABOUT    FORT    NIAGARA  259 

"  Move  this  way,  then — the  shore's  over  yonder, 
and  I  think  we'll  soon  strike  bottom  with  our  feet." 

Dave  did  as  suggested,  and  ranged  up  alongside 
of  Simon  Lapp.  The  proximity  of  the  sailor-soldier 
gave  the  youth  confidence,  and  he  did  his  best  to 
keep  up  with  the  man. 

It  was  the  hardest  swim  of  his  life  and  more 
than  once  Dave  felt  as  if  the  weight  of  his  uniform 
would  carry  him  down.  The  two  were  alone  in  the 
vicinity,  the  others  having  either  gone  down  or 
struck  out  for  the  uninjured  boats  nearest  to  them. 

When  Dave  was  almost  exhausted  he  felt  bottom 
under  him,  and  hand  in  hand  he  and  Simon  Lapp 
waded  ashore.  The  rain  was  now  coming  down 
harder  than  ever,  and  both  crawled  to  the  shelter  of 
some  overhanging  trees,  regardless  of  the  danger 
from  lightning. 

"  We're  in  a  pickle,  that's  certain,"  observed  Dave, 
when  he  felt  able  to  speak.  "  Do  you  reckon  any- 
body will  come  to  shore  for  us?" 

"  More'n  likely  some  of  'the  boats  have  been 
driven  ashore,"  answered  Lapp.  "  Let  us  be  thank- 
ful that  our  lives  have  been  spared. 

Dave  was  thankful,  and  as  they  crouched  there  in 
the  darkness  he  uttered  a  prayer  to  God  for  His 
mercies,  and  prayed  that  this  adventure  might 
speedily  be  brought  to  a  safe  conclusion. 


26O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

As  we  know,  the  storm  was  not  of  long  duration, 
and  by  nightfall  Dave  and  Lapp  were  walking  along 
the  shore,  searching  for  friends,  or  for  some  signs 
of  the  other  batteaux. 

But,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  no  boats  showed 
themselves,  nor  did  a  single  human  being  come  into 
sight. 

"  Might  as  well  give  it  up,"  said  the  sailor-soldier 
at  last.  "  I'm  too  tired  to  stick  on  my  pins  a  minit 
longer.  Let's  make  a  fire  and  dry  off." 

Dave  was  agreeable,  and  the  fire  was  started,  al- 
though not  without  great  difficulty.  In  moving 
along  the  shore  they  had  come  across  a  few  small 
fish  thrown  up  by  the  fury  of  the  wind  and  these 
they  cooked  and  ate. 

The  next  day  found  Dave  and  Lapp  still  in  the 
woods.  In  some  manner  they  had  strayed  from  the 
lake  front  and  before  nightfall  they  had  covered 
many  miles  in  an  endeavor  to  set  themselves  right 
once  again.  They  had  found  no  more  game,  and 
being  without  means  of  shooting  anything,  or  even 
of  going  fishing,  were  almost  starved  for  the  want 
of  food. 

"  We've  got  to  do  something,"  said  Dave,  on  the 
following  morning.  "  If  we  don't,  we'll  starve. 
I'm  going  to  try  to  bring  down  some  birds  with 
sticks  and  stones." 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   FORT   NIAGARA  26 1 

He  tried  his  best,  but  though  he  followed  his  plan 
up  for  fully  an  hour  not  a  bird  did  he  hit,  and  by 
that  time  his  arm  was  so  tired  that  further  throwing 
was  out  of  the  question.  In  the  meantime,  his 
course  had  brought  him  out  on  the  lake  front  once 
more,  and  now  while  he  rested,  Simon  Lapp  tried 
his  hand  at  fishing,  with  a  hook  made  out  of  a  thorn 
and  some  line  manufactured  from  threads  from  his 
shirt. 

But  the  fish  would  not  bite,  and  in  an  hour  Lapp 
gave  up  the  attempt  in  disgust.  Each  looked  at  the 
other  inquiringly. 

"  The  lake  is  full  o'  fish,  and  the  woods  full  o' 
game — an'  yet  it  looks  like  we  were  meant  to  starve, 
Morris,"  said  Lapp,  slowly. 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that !  "  cried  Dave.  "  Something 
may  turn  up — it  must  turn  up !  " 

He  had  scarcely  spoken  when  Lapp  leaped  to  his 
feet  and  pointed  down  the  lake  shore.  "  A  boat !  " 
he  cried. 

There  was  a  speck  on  the  water,  and  as  it  grew 
larger,  Dave  saw  that  it  was  indeed  a  boat,  quite  a 
large  affair,  carrying  a  small  sail  and  in  addition 
several  men  at  oars. 

Were  those  in  the  craft  friends  or  enemies  ?  That 
was  the  interesting  question,  and  Dave  felt  his  heart 
beat  rapidly.  If  they  were  friends  all  would  be 


262  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

well,  but  if  enemies ?  They  would  not  wish  to 

expose  themselves,  and  yet  to  starve  to  death  was 
out  of  the  question. 

As  the  boat  came  closer,  they  crawled  behind  some 
bushes  and  crouched  down  out  of  sight.  Slowly  the 
craft  glided  up,  until  it  was  less  than  a  hundred  yards 
away.  Then  Simon  Lapp  leaped  up  and  swung  his 
arms  wildly. 

"  Boat  ahoy !  "  he  cried.     "  Boat  ahoy !  " 

Those  in  the  craft  heard  the  call  and  the  rowers 
stopped  rowing,  while  all  looked  with  interest  to- 
ward the  shore.  Then  Dave  uttered  a  yell. 

"Henry!     Henry!" 

"  Hullo,  Dave,  is  that  you  ?  "  was  the  answer. 

"  Yes.  Come  in  and  take  us  on  board.  We  are 
almost  starved ! " 

"  How  many  of  you  there?  "  questioned  the  offi- 
cer in  charge  of  the  boat. 

"  Only  two,"  answered  Simon  Lapp.  "  And  un- 
armed at  that." 

"  It's  all  right,  sir,"  said  Henry,  to  the  officer  in 
command.  "  That  is  my  cousin,  who  left  Oswego 
with  General  Prideaux's  command.  I  don't  know 
what  he  is  doing  here  though." 

The  boat  came  ashore,  and  soon  Henry  was  shak- 
ing Dave  by  the  hand.  The  hungry  ones  were  pro- 
vided with  food,  and  although  this  consisted  of  noth- 


SOMETHING  ABOUT   FORT   NIAGARA  263 

ing  better  than  some  boiled  pork,  with  beans  and 
crackers  which  were  anything  but  fresh,  never  had 
a  meal  tasted  sweeter  to  both. 

The  officer  and  the  others  listened  with  interest 
to  what  Lapp  and  Dave  had  to  tell.  They  had 
come  across  the  waterlogged  remains  of  the  wrecked 
batteaux  and  had  been  watching  sharply  for  any 
signs  of  floating  bodies.  They  had  come  across 
that  of  Lieutenant  Naster  and  had  buried  it  but  a 
few  hours  before.  The  news  that  the  lieutenant  was 
dead  caused  Dave  to  shudder. 

The  rangers  were  bound  for  the  Niagara  River, 
having  been  sent  out  by  Colonel  Haldimand  with  a 
message  to  General  Prideaux,  telling  the  latter  of 
the  defeat  and  retreat  of  La  Come.  It  was  possible 
that  La  Corne  would  now  move  onward  to  assist  in 
the  defense  of  Fort  Niagara  in  which  case  measures 
would  have  to  be  taken  to  cut  him  off.  But  La 
Corne  had  been  too  thoroughly  whipped  to  move 
westward,  and,  besides,  he  was  soon  after  needed 
in  other  directions. 

Of  course  the  news  which  Henry  had  to  tell  about 
little  Nell  and  Jean  Bevoir  was  of  great  interest  to 
Dave. 

"  Did  the  Indian  tell  you  just  where  she  was 
being  kept  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  He  said  so  far  as  he  knew  the  captives  and  the 


264  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

traders  were  at  an  Indian  village  called  Shumetta, 
not  over  two  miles  away  from  Niagara  Falls.  He 
said  Jean  Bevoir  spent  part  of  his  time  at  Shumetta 
and  the  rest  at  Venango,  where  he  has  charge  of  a 
company  of  traders,  who  intend  to  fight  in  the 
French  army,  if  the  war  is  carried  into  that  terri- 
tory." 

"  I  hope  Bevoir  does  fight,  and  that  we  get  a 
chance  at  him!"  cried  Dave.  "I  really  think  I'd 
take  pleasure  in  laying  him  low — such  a  rascal  as 
he  is!" 

After  the  privations  of  the  past  two  days  Dave 
was  well  content  to  take  it  easy  as  the  boat  sped  on 
its  way  along  the  dark  and  silent  shore  of  Lake 
Ontario,  then  presenting  an  almost  unbroken  line 
of  forest  and  rocks,  to-day  the  sites  of  many  vil- 
lages and  thriving  cities.  As  the  craft  moved  on, 
constant  watch  was  kept  for  a  possible  French  sail, 
but  none  appeared. 

It  took  General  Prideaux's  flotilla  between  six  and 
seven  days  to  make  the  journey  westward,  and  it 
was  not  until  the  troops  were  landing  that  the  boat 
containing  Dave  and  Henry  reached  the  main  army. 
General  Prideaux  was  at  once  acquainted  with  what 
had  occurred  at  Oswego  and  seemed  well  pleased  to 
think  that  La  Corne's  strategy  had  not  availed  him. 
He  already  knew  of  the  loss  of  Lieutenant  Naster 


SOMETHING   ABOUT    FORT    NIAGARA  265 

and  of  four  others  who  were  swept  away  by  the 
storm. 

Dave  and  Lapp  had  been  given  up  for  lost  by 
their  friends  who  had  escaped  from  the  wrecking  cf 
the  batteau,  and  their  re-appearance  was  hailed  with 
delight. 

It  was  General  Prideaux's  plan  to  land  some  dis- 
tance from  Fort  Niagara,  and  then  lay  siege  to  the 
place.  The  soldiers  disembarked  as  silently  as  pos- 
sible, the  trees,  rocks  and  bushes  keeping  them  well 
hidden  from  those  in  the  fort.  Then,  while  several 
companies  were  left  behind  to  guard  the  boats  and 
baggage,  the  rest  of  the  army  moved  through  the 
woods,  the  engineering  corps  going  ahead,  to  throw 
up  entrenchments  as  soon  as  such  a  move  seemed 
necessary. 

The  old  fort,  which  was  speedily  to  see  its  last 
days  under  French  rule,  stood  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Niagara  River,  where  that  picturesque  stream 
empties  into  Lake  Ontario.  It  was  both  large  and 
strongly  built,  after  the  fashion  of  French  fortifica- 
tion of  that  period.  Within  the  outer  defenses  were 
several  buildings  of  considerable  importance,  for  this 
fort  had  stood  as  a  guardian  of  lake  and  river  for 
many  years. 

The  commander  at  the  fort  was  Captain  Pouchot, 
an  able  French  officer,  who  had  seen  service  for 


266  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

many  campaigns.  He  had  under  him  a  force  of 
about  six  hundred  soldiers — trained  veterans  who 
could  boast  of  more  than  one  victory.  Up  to  a  short 
vvhile  before,  there  had  been  other  soldiers  in  this 
vicinity,  but  not  dreaming  of  an  attack — for  his 
Indian  spies  had  this  time  failed  him — the  French 
officer  had  allowed  these  to  depart — to  Venango  and 
other  trading  posts,  and  to  several  of  the  nearby  In- 
dian villages.  It  was  mid-summer,  and  traders  and 
Indians  hated  to  do  military  duty  when  they  could 
bring  down  game  and  make  trades. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE  BATTLE  NEAR  THE  FALLS 

"  WE  are  certainly  in  for  a  fight  now,  Henry !  " 
It  was  Dave  who  spoke,  as  he  examined  the  pri- 
ming of  his  new  gun,  to  make  sure  that  the  weapon 
was  ready  for  use.  "  That  little  brush  day  before 
yesterday  woke  the  French  up,  and  they  will  sail 
into  us  heavily — if  they  can,"  he  added. 

"  Well,  we  came  to  fight,"  returned  Henry,  as  he, 
too,  looked  his  weapon  over.  "  And  I  guess  we  can 
be  thankful,  all  things  considered,  that  we  are  here 
to  do  them  battle  and  not  killed,  or  laid  up  as  Sam 
Barringford  is." 

"  I  hope  Sam  pulls  through  and  that  quickly." 
"  The  surgeon  said  he  would — if  he'll  keep  quiet 
for  a  while.     But  it's  like  putting  a  torch  to  gun- 
powder to  keep  him  quiet  when  there's  a  scrimmage 
in  sight, — he's  such  a  born  fighter." 

The  two  young  soldiers  were  standing  behind  a 
breastworks  which  had  been  thrown  up  early  that 
morning.  The  first  works  thrown  up  by  the  Eng- 
lish engineering  corps  had  proved  untenable  and  the 

267 


268  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

French  had  fired  on  them  with  disastrous  effect.  But 
now  they  were  comparatively  safe;  and  the  English 
gunners  were  serving  their  various  cannon  steadily 
and  effectively,  knocking  the  logs  of  the  fort  into 
bits  with  almost  every  discharge. 

The  fort  had  been  under  bombardment  for  sev- 
eral days,  and  the  young  soldiers  had  been  out  on  the 
firing  line  three  times.  But  only  one  of  these  times 
had  been  of  any  consequence  and  that  was  when 
a  French  cannon  ball,  hitting  some  loose  stones,  had 
sent  the  latter  in  their  faces,  scratching  them  both 
on  each  cheek  and  blinding  a  soldier  standing  be- 
tween them. 

The  bombardment  had  been  opened  at  rather  long 
range,  for  General  Prideaux  had  not  known  the 
exact  strength  of  the  French  garrison.  Now  the 
worthy  English  general  was  dead,  having  been  killed 
on  the  second  day  by  the  unexpected  explosion  of  a 
shell  as  it  was  being  fired  by  some  English  gunners 
from  a  small  bronze  mortar,  generally  called  a  coe- 
horn. 

The  killing  of  General  Prideaux  placed  the  com- 
mand of  the  expedition  in  the  hands  of  Sir  William 
Johnson,  who  up  to  this  time  had  been  giving  all  of 
his  attention  to  the  Indians  who  had  volunteered  to 
aid  their  English  brothers.  Johnson  was  as  quick  to 
act  as  he  was  brave,  and  having  stationed  his  In- 


THE  BATTLE  NEAR  THE  FALLS       269 

dians  where  he  could  call  upon  them  at  a  moment's 
notice,  had  the  English  make  another  advance  on 
the  next  day,  which  brought  the  cannon  to  bear  di- 
rectly on  the  most  vital  parts  of  the  fort. 

Captain  Pouchot  was  now  thoroughly  alarmed, 
and  under  cover  of  darkness,  sent  out  messengers  in 
various  directions,  to  bring  up  the  soldiers,  traders, 
and  friendly  Indians  from  Venango,  Presqu'ile,  De- 
troit, and  other  points.  These  different  forces  were 
to  join  together  at  some  point  near  Lake  Erie  and 
then  sail  down  the  Niagara  River  to  the  vicinity  of 
the  Falls,  where  they  were  to  disembark  and  then 
march  forward  with  the  idea  of  attacking  the  Eng- 
lish from  the  rear. 

Having  sent  forth  his  messengers  the  French 
commander  now  undertook  to  do  his  best  until  the 
reinforcements  should  arrive.  The  English  attack 
was  answered  with  spirit,  so  that  day  after  day  the 
air  was  filled  with  shot  and  shell,  hurled  either  into 
the  fort  or  from  it. 

The  attack  Dave  had  mentioned  came  late  that 
afternoon  and  was  followed  by  another  on  the  next 
day  and  still  another  two  days  later. 

It  was  hot  work,  for  the  July  sun  blazed  down 
with  unmitigating  vigor,  and  had  the  young  soldiers 
not  been  toughened  to  a  life  in  the  open  they  would 
have  done  as  many  of  the  English  grenadiers  did, 


27O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

fallen  down  in  the  entrenchments  exhausted.  There 
was  a  continual  demand  for  water  and  it  was  for- 
tunate for  all  that  a  good  supply  was  close  at  hand. 
This  same  supply  more  than  once  saved  the  fort 
from  burning  down. 

Both  Dave  and  Henry  had  hoped  to  gain  permis- 
sion from  General  Johnson  to  go  off  in  search  of 
little  Nell,  taking  several  friends  with  them.  But 
when  they  broached  the  subject  the  brave-hearted 
Irish  commander  shook  his  head. 

"  It  will  do  you  no  good,  young  men,"  he  said, 
kindly.  "  Stay  with  me,  and  if  we  win  out — as 
we  must — I  will  do  all  possible  to  rescue  the  chil- 
dren." 

The  general  was  sure  of  a  victory  and  his  spirit 
proved  contagious  to  all  under  him.  As  the  days 
went  by  the  bombardment  of  the  fort  continued,  un- 
til Captain  Pouchot  had  lost  fully  half  a  hundred  of 
his  garrison.  Impatiently  he  awaited  the  reinforce- 
ments from  up  the  river. 

But  if  he  had  expected  to  catch  Sir  William  John- 
son napping  he  was  sadly  mistaken.  The  com- 
mander of  the  English  forces  was  thoroughly  wide- 
awake, and  had  his  scouts  out  in  all  directions,  and 
these  included  a  dozen  old  backwoodsmen  and  fully 
a  score  of  Indians  who  could  be  depended  upon  to 
do  their  best,  no  matter  what  the  risk.  It  may  be  as 


THE   BATTLE   NEAR   THE   FALLS  27 1 

well  to  mention  that  among  these  scouts  was  White 
Buffalo,  who  had  followed  from  Oswego  to  Fort 
Niagara,  not  alone  to  aid  Sir  William  Johnson  but 
also  to  assist  the  Morrises  to  find  little  Nell. 

The  attack  on  the  fort  had  begun  on  the  seventh 
of  July.  On  the  twenty-fourth  word  came  in 
through  the  spies  that  a  force  of  French  and  In- 
dians were  coming  down  the  river  from  Lake  Erie. 
This  body  of  soldiers,  traders  and  Indians  was 
twelve  hundred  strong,  and  was  commanded  by  sev- 
eral French  officers  of  note.  The  traders  were  of 
the  most  savage  and  lawless  kind  and  many  of 
them  were  in  the  habit  of  dressing  like  the  Indians 
and  smearing  their  faces  with  the  same  warpaint. 

The  word  concerning  this  body  came  in  late  in 
the  day  and  that  night  General  Johnson  ordered  for- 
ward a  large  part  of  his  force,  including  some  grena- 
diers, some  rangers  and  his  Indians.  The  troops 
were  cautioned  to  move  forward  without  making  un- 
necessary noise,  and  to  be  certain  of  what  was  taking 
place  before  opening  fire. 

"  Now  for  some  real  fighting !  "  cried  Dave. 
"  This  won't  be  any  such  play  as  besieging  the  fort." 

"  Well,  that  hasn't  been  play  to  my  notion,"  an- 
swered Henry.  "  At  least  it  wasn't  play  when  that 
cannon  ball  came  and  blinded  poor  Campbell." 

"  Well,  I'm  with  ye,  lads ! "  came  a  voice  from 


272  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

behind  them,  and  turning  swiftly  they  beheld  Sam 
Barringford  standing  there,  rifle  in  hand,  and  with 
his  throat  done  up  in  a  bandage. 

"  Where  in  the  world  did  you  come  from  ?  "  ejacu- 
lated Henry.  "  Why,  you  ought  to  be  in  the  hos- 
pital!" 

"  Not  by  a  jugful,  Henry !  I'm  well  enough  ag'in, 
I  can  tell  ye — though  I  allow  as  how  my  neck's  a 
bit  stiff." 

"  How  did  you  get  here?  " 

"  Came  up  on  a  boat  that  brought  some  ammu- 
nition. Reckon  I'm  jest  in  time,  too,  eh?  " 

"  You  ought  to  take  it  easy,  Sam,"  said  Dave. 
"  You've  done  enough — " 

"  Cut  it  short,  lad;  I  can't  sit  still  when  thar's  a 
scrimmage  on — no  two  ways  about  it.  Besides,  I 
promised  your  folks  to  stay  with  ye,  remember  thet, 
— an'  I'm  bound  to  keep  my  promise.  Come  along, 
an'  tell  me  what  ye've  been  up  to  sence  we  parted 
company." 

As  they  trudged  forward,  along  the  Indian  trail 
which  led  along  the  bluff  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Niagara  River,  the  youths  related  their  various  ad- 
ventures. Barringford  was  astonished  to  learn  how 
Dave  had  been  nearly  drowned  and  starved  and  how 
Henry  and  others  had  come  up  just  in  the  nick  of 
time. 


THE  BATTLE  NEAR  THE  FALLS       273 

"  It's  the  work  of  an  all-wise  an'  all-powerful 
Providence,  thet's  what  it  is,  lads,"  he  said,  rever- 
ently. "  When  we  can't  help  ourselves  it  does  seem 
jest  like  an  arm  reached  down  out  o'  the  clouds 
to  give  us  a  lift." 

On  and  still  on  went  the  soldiers,  some  keeping 
to  the  trail  and  others  skirting  the  river  and  the 
thick  forest  beyond.  To  those  who  had  been  on 
guard  duty  during  the  day  it  was  a  tiresome  tramp, 
but  the  life  of  the  soldier,  as  I  have  had  occasion 
to  say  before,  is  not  all  glory,  but  is  usually  a  mix- 
ture of  one-tenth  glory  and  nine-tenths  work  and 
duty-doing. 

At  last  came  the  welcome  command  to  halt.  The 
soldiers  were  now  less  than  a  mile  away  from  the 
falls  and  in  the  stillness  of  the  early  morning  the 
great  body  of  falling  waters  could  be  distinctly 
heard — a  muffled  roar  which  keeps  on  day 
and  night  now  just  as  it  did  in  those  days  and 
just  as  it  has  done  probably  for  centuries  upon 
centuries. 

The  rangers  to  which  our  friends  belonged  came 
to  a  halt  in  a  little  grove  of  trees  and  both  Dave  and 
Henry  were  glad  that  they  were  not  called  upon  to 
do  picket  duty.  They  sank  down  to  rest,  and  de- 
spite the  undertone  of  excitement  observable  on 
every  hand,  fell  into  a  light  slumber,  from  which 


274  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

Barringford  did  not  arouse  them  until  it  was  ab- 
solutely necessary. 

When  they  awoke  there  was  a  fierce  yelling  in 
the  distance,  followed  by  a  number  of  scattering 
shots.  The  fight  had  opened  between  the  Mohawks 
on  one  side  and  the  Iroquois  on  the  other.  Soon  the 
French  traders  leaped  into  the  fray,  and  then  the 
soldiers  on  both  sides  followed. 

The  French  and  their  allies  had  come  around  the 
falls  by  the  portage  trail  and  the  battle  began  at  some 
little  distance  below  the  falls.  The  Indians  fought 
like  so  many  demons,  both  sides  taking  as  many 
scalps  as  possible.  Soon  the  forest  and  the  open 
space  were  filled  with  gun-smoke. 

"  Forward !  "  came  the  cry.  "  Forward !  We 
must  drive  them  back!  They  must  never  reach  the 
fort !  "  And  forward  went  our  friends,  and  in  a 
moment  more  Dave,  Henry,  and  Barringford  found 
themselves  in  the  very  thickest  of  the  fray. 

Dirty  looking  traders  confronted  them,  several 
Dave  had  seen  before,  on  the  Kinotah,  and  some  of 
these  tried  their  best  to  bring  down  the  son  of  the 
English  trader  they  so  hated.  But  Dave  was  un- 
touched, although  one  bullet  did  pierce  his  jacket. 
The  rush  of  the  English  rangers  was  successful  and 
soon  the  Frenchmen  scattered  to  the  right  and  the 
left. 


THE   BATTLE   NEAR   THE   FALLS  *75 

But  now  a  body  of  French  soldiery  was  coming 
forward  on  the  double-quick.  The  rangers  had  no 
time  to  re-load  their  weapons,  and  so  leaped  for- 
ward for  a  hand-to-hand  contest,  such  as  soldiers  of 
to-day  know  little  or  nothing  about,  where  bayonet 
met  clubbed  musket  and  sword  the  long  and  equally 
dangerous  hunting  knife  of  the  pioneer,  and  where 
many  a  contest  was  settled  in  short  order  with  the 
naked  fist,  if  no  better  weapon  was  handy.  It  was 
a  time  to  bring  out  "  real  grit  "  in  the  best  meaning 
of  that  term. 

Henry  had  discharged  his  gun  and  was  now  try- 
ing to  club  off  two  French  soldiers  who  had  attacked 
him  with  their  bayonets.  He  struck  one  of  the 
enemy  on  the  head,  sending  him  reeling,  but  the 
force  of  the  blow  made  him  lose  his  balance  and  he 
too  fell,  but  only  upon  his  knees. 

"  Ha !  now  we  have  you !  "  cried  another  French 
soldier,  close  by,  as  he  saw  Henry  slip,  and  lowering 
his  bayonet  he  charged  on  the  youth,  intending  to 
run  him  through  on  the  spot! 


CHAPTER  XXX 

INTO  THE  NIAGARA  RAPIDS 

FOR  the  moment  it  looked  as  if  poor  Henry's  last 
moment  on  earth  had  come  and  the  young  soldier 
closed  his  eyes  to  meet  the  fate  he  thought  could  not 
be  averted. 

"  Back  with  you ! "  came  a  cry  from  Dave,  and 
making  a  wild  leap  forward,  he  swung  his  clubbed 
musket  at  the  French  soldier's  head.  The  blow, 
however,  merely  grazed  the  enemy's  cap,  which  fell 
upon  the  forest  sward.  Then  the  Frenchman  drew 
back  and  made  another  desperate  lunge  forward. 

At  that  instant  a  rifle  report  rang  out.  Sam  Bar- 
ringford,  who  had  just  reloaded  his  weapon,  had 
seen  Henry  go  down  and  was  as  quick  to  act  as 
Dave  had  been.  He  was  in  such  a  position  that  he 
could  not  get  a  full  view  of  the  Frenchman  but  he 
could  see  the  extended  arms  and  the  gun  with  the 
bayonet,  and  he  fired  at  these. 

His  aim  was  true,  and  with  a  howl  of  pain,  as 
the  bullet  cracked  his  elbow  joint,  the  enemy  dropped 
the  weapon  just  as  the  bayonet  point  was  entering 

276 


He  swung  his  clubbed  musket  at  the  French  soldier's  head. 
Page  276. 


INTO  THE  NIAGARA  RAPIDS        277 

the  cloth  of  Henry's  jacket.  Then,  finding  himself 
wounded  and  defenseless,  the  Frenchman  lost  no 
time  in  retreating  and  was  soon  lost  to  sight  behind 
the  trees. 

Now  was  no  time  to  thank  Barringford  for  what 
he  had  done,  for  the  fighting  still  continued  on  every 
side.  Dave  helped  his  cousin  to  his  feet,  and  soon 
the  pair,  with  the  faithful  old  frontiersman,  were 
again  in  the  thick  of  the  fray.  The  forest  was 
heavy  with  gun  smoke  so  that  in  spots  but  little 
could  be  seen,  and  more  than  once  it  happened  that 
one  side  or  the  other  fired  into  the  ranks  of  its 
friends. 

Inside  of  quarter  of  an  hour  our  friends  found 
themselves  in  something  of  an  open  spot  bordering 
the  river,  at  a  point  where  the  rapids  rushed  furi- 
ously along  the  rocks  on  their  way  to  the  lake.  Here, 
as  they  were  moving  forward,  to  join  a  body  of 
English  soldiers  fifty  yards  away,  they  were  suddenly 
confronted  by  a  body  of  Iroquois  who  came  upon 
them  uttering  the  most  horrible  war-cries  the  youths 
had  ever  heard,  and  brandishing  their  tomahawks 
and  scalping  knives. 

"  On  yer  guard  thar !  "  came  from  Barringford. 
"  They  air  after  us  hot-footed  now ! " 

He  swung  around,  and  as  the  nearest  Iroquois 
came  within  a  dozen  steps  of  him,  he  let  the  savage 


278  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

have  the  contents  of  his  gun  full  in  the  breast,  kill- 
ing him  instantly.  Then  the  boys  also  fired,  wound- 
ing two  others.  This  halted  the  Indians  for  the 
moment,  but  quickly  recovering,  they  darted  for- 
ward with  increased  fury,  bent  upon  adding  the 
scalps  of  the  three  whites  to  their  belts  ere  the  battle 
should  come  to  an  end. 

It  was  Dave  who  found  himself  the  first  attacked. 
A  tall  Iroquois,  straight  as  an  arrow,  leaped  upon 
him  and  tried  to  stab  him  with  a  hunting  knife.  The 
young  soldier  warded  off  the  blow,  with  his  gun, 
and  in  a  trice  the  pair  were  locked  in  each  other's 
arms  and  swaying  back  and  forth  over  the  rocks. 
The  Indian  muttered  something  between  his  set  teeth, 
but  Dave  did  not  understand  what  was  said. 

Henry  and  Barringford  were  also  attacked,  so 
they  could  do  nothing  for  their  companion.  The 
Iroquois  were  ten  strong,  and  soon  it  looked  as  if 
all  our  friends  would  undoubtedly  be  killed  and 
scalped. 

The  Indian  who  had  attacked  Dave  had  made  a 
desperate  clutch  at  the  young  soldier's  throat.  But 
Dave  had  caught  the  wrist  so  quickly  thrust  forth, 
and  now  the  two  were  fighting  with  one  arm  of  each 
thrust  out  and  up  and  the  other  wound  tightly  about 
the  enemy's  neck.  Thus  they  swayed  back  and 
forth,  each  doing  his  best  to  force  an  advantage  and 


INTO   THE    NIAGARA   RAPIDS  279 

each  failing.  Both  looked  about,  thinking  that  pos- 
sible assistance  might  be  at  hand,  but  all  the  others 
engaged  in  the  combat  were  too  busy  to  notice 
them. 

Slowly  but  surely  the  pair  drew  closer  to  the  edge 
of  the  river,  which  at  this  point  was  some  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet  below  the  ledge  of  rock  upon  which  the 
combat  was  occurring.  In  the  stream  the  rapids 
swirled  and  boiled  in  every  direction,  occasionally 
sending  a  shower  of  spray  up  to  their  very  feet.  The 
dampness  made  the  rocks  slippery  and  both  had  all 
they  could  do  to  retain  their  footing. 

At  last  Dave  seemed  to  obtain  a  slight  advantage. 
The  Indian  relaxed  his  vigor  for  just  a  moment 
and  in  that  fraction  of  time  the  young  soldier  caught 
him  by  the  throat  and  gave  him  such  a  squeeze  that 
the  redman's  windpipe  was  well-nigh  dislocated. 

At  this  the  Indian  uttered  a  grunt  and  began  to 
back  away,  but  still  retained  his  grip  on  Dave.  This 
brought  the  pair  closer  than  ever  to  the  edge  of  the 
rocks. 

"  Look  out ! "  came  a  sudden  cry  from  Henry, 
who  happened  to  see  the  movement.  "  Dave!  Dave! 
Look  out ! " 

Dave  heard  the  cry,  but  was  powerless  to  heed 
it.  At  the  very  edge  the  rocks  were  worn  smooth, 
and  of  a  sudden  the  Indian  slid  backward  dragging 


28O  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

the  young  soldier  with  him!  Over  went  both,  into 
the  flying  spray,  to  disappear  a  moment  later  be- 
neath the  surface  of  the  fiercely  running  rapids. 

Henry  saw  the  fall  and  his  heart  leaped  into  his 
throat,  for  he  felt  that  it  could  mean  but  one  thing 
for  his  cousin,  and  that  death.  But  even  had  he 
been  able  to  do  anything,  which  was  doubtful,  he 
was  given  no  chance,  for  now  the  advancing  Iro- 
quois  surrounded  him  and  Barringford  upon  every 
side. 

The  scene  to  follow  was  one  which  it  would  be 
hard  for  pen  to  describe.  Feeling  that  it  might  be 
his  last  stand  on  earth,  Barringford's  whole  will- 
power arose  to  the  occasion,  and  once  again  he  was 
the  very  personification  of  reckless  courage,  just  as 
he  had  been  when  the  Indians  had  attacked  the  trad- 
ing post  on  the  Kinotah.  With  clubbed  musket  he 
whirled  around  from  right  to  left  and  left  to  right 
so  quickly  that  the  human  eye  could  scarcely  follow 
him. 

"  Come  on,  ye  red  sarpints  o*  the  woods ! "  He 
yelled.  "  Come  on,  an'  I'll  show  ye  the  real  trick 
o'  fightin' !  Ye  don't  know  what  a  roarin',  blusterin* 
hurricane  ole  Sam  Barringford  is  when  he's  woke 
up,  do  ye?  Thar's  one  fer  ye.  an'  thar's  another,  an* 
another !  Cut  me  loose,  will  ye !  I'll  show  what  a 
generwine  ole  Injun  fighter  kin  do!  Yer  nuthin' 


INTO   THE   NIAGARA   RAPIDS  28 1 

'tall  but  a  lot  of  measly  pappoose,  thet's  wot  ye  be, 
an'  don't  yer  go  fer  to  wake  up  sech  a  roarin'  moun- 
tain painter  as  me !  " 

Barringford  had  just  brought  down  his  third 
Indian  and  was  still  at  it,  with  Henry  lending  all  the 
aid  possible,  when  there  came  a  sudden  war-cry  from 
the  woods  to  the  north  of  the  opening.  It  was  the 
cry  of  Indians  friendly  to  the  English,  and  scarcely 
had  it  ended  when  White  Buffalo  burst  into  view, 
followed  by  a  number  of  his  braves. 

A  glance  told  the  chief  what  was  happening,  and 
without  delay  he  leaped  in  to  aid  our  friends,  and  in 
a  moment  more  the  redmen  on  both  sides  were 
having  a  battle  as  warm  as  the  one  just  ended.  But 
the  Iroquois  had  suffered  about  all  they  could  stand, 
and  soon  those  that  were  able  to  move  were  in  full 
retreat,  while  the  others  were  just  as  speedily  dis- 
patched and  scalped  by  the  redmen  who  had  put 
them  to  flight. 

As  soon  as  he  was  at  liberty  to  do  so,  Henry  ap- 
proached the  edge  of  the  rocks,  to  ascertain,  if  pos- 
sible, what  had  become  of  his  cousin.  Here,  while 
he  was  peering  eagerly  down  into  the  rapids  and 
flying  spray,  Barringford  joined  him.  Both  were 
suffering  from  several  small  wounds  from  which  the 
blood  flowed  freely,  but  to  these  hurts  they,  just 
then,  paid  no  attention. 


282  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  Whar's  Dave?"  was  the  frontiersman's  ques- 
tion, as  he  proceeded  to  reload  his  rifle. 

"  Why,  didn't  you  see  him,  Sam  ?  He  and  a  red- 
skin had  each  other  by  the  throat  and  both  went 
over  into  the  river." 

"  Gollywhoppers,  Henry,  you  don't  mean  it ! 
When  was  thet?" 

"  Just  before  White  Buffalo  and  his  braves  came 
up/' 

"  And  they  went  over  right  here  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

Barringford  peered  sharply  down  the  stream  for 
nearly  half  a  minute,  while  Henry  did  the  same. 

"Don't  see  no  sight  of  'em;  do  you?"  he  said, 
slowly. 

"  No."  Henry  drew  a  long  breath  and  shud- 
dered. "  Oh,  Sam,  I — I  hope  Dave  isn't  drowned !  " 

At  this  the  backwoodsman  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders. 

"  So  do  I  hope  it,  lad.  But  war  is  war  ye  must 
remember,  an'  we  can't  expect  to  kill  the  enemy  right 
along  an'  hev  nuthin'  happen  to  us." 

"  Yes,  but — "  Henry  could  not  finish  because  of 
the  lump  which  came  up  in  his  throat.  "  I'm  going 
to  follow  the  river  and  see  if  I  can't  find  out  the 
truth,"  he  blurted  out  at  length. 

"  Sure.     Come  on." 


INTO   THE   NIAGARA   RAPIDS  283 

The  fighting  now  seemed  to  be  at  an  end  in  that 
neighborhood,  and  although  they  could  hear  gun- 
shots in  the  direction  of  the  falls,  and  further  to  the 
southward,  not  a  French  soldier  or  an  unfriendly 
Indian  remained  in  sight. 

For  the  day  had  been  irretrievably  lost  to  the 
enemy,  and  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  French 
and  Indians  killed,  and  over  one  hundred  French 
taken  prisoners,  the  remainder  of  the  attacking  force 
had  fled  in  wild  confusion  past  the  falls  and  upper 
rapids  to  where  lay  the  boats  which  had  brought 
them  down  from  Lake  Erie.  Into  these  boats  they 
tumbled  with  all  possible  speed  and  sped  in  the  direc- 
tion whence  they  had  come.  They  were  followed  by 
some  of  the  English  and  by  Indians,  who  ran  along 
the  shore  for  a  distance  of  half  a  mile,  shooting 
down  every  enemy  who  could  be  reached  by  bullet 
or  arrow. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

FALL  OF  FORT   NIAGARA 

So  intent  were  Dave  and  his  enemy  on  getting  the 
better  of  each  other  that  neither  noticed  their  close 
proximity  to  the  river  until  it  was  too  late  to  do 
anything  to  save  themselves. 

Down  they  went  through  the  flying  spray,  to 
strike  the  boiling  waters  which  flowed  so  rapidly  at 
the  base  of  the  rocks.  Both  went  under  like  a  flash 
and  with  equal  quickness  were  borne  along  by  that 
treacherous  current  which  had  proved  the  death  of 
so  many  in  the  past  and  will  most  likely  bring  death 
to  many  more  in  the  future. 

The  redman  did  not  relax  his  hold  even  when 
both  had  been  under  the  surface  for  some  time.  To 
him  it  was  a  struggle  to  the  death,  and  he  cared 
not  how  the  grim  terror  might  come,  so  long  as 
the  hated  white  person  should  go  down  with  him. 

But  Dave,  much  younger,  and  with  the  hope  of 
youth  in  his  veins,  did  not  intend  to  give  up  thus 
easily.  As  the  waters  of  the  river  closed  over  him 
the  idea  of  further  battle  with  his  opponent  ended, 

284 


FALL   OF   FORT    NIAGARA  285 

and  his  one  thought  was  now  of  how  to  save  him- 
self from  drowning.  He  had  been  warned  of  the 
stream's  treachery,  and  he  knew  that  to  keep  from 
perishing  would  be  no  easy  task. 

With  all  the  strength  he  could  command  he  es- 
sayed to  push  the  Indian  away  from  him.  But  the 
warrior  clung  closer,  for  he  could  not  swim  and 
knew  he  could  gain  nothing  by  being  left  to  himself. 
Thus  the  pair  continued  to  struggle,  and  in  the 
meanwhile  the  current  carried  them  further  and 
further  away  from  the  spot  where  the  unfortunate 
tumble  had  occurred. 

"  I  must  get  loose  somehow!  "  thought  the  youth. 
"  If  only  I  could  break  that  hold  on  my  throat ! " 
But  the  hold  was  like  that  of  a  steel  band,  and  in- 
stead of  loosening  it  seemed  to  grow  tighter,  until 
poor  Dave's  head  began  to  swim  and  he  gave  him- 
self up  for  lost.  He  drew  up  his  knee  and  forced 
it  against  the  Indian's  breast,  but  still  his  endeavors 
had  no  effect.  And  now  the  water  began  to  enter 
his  mouth  and  nose  and  he  felt  himself  growing  un- 
conscious. A  thousand  thoughts  flashed  through  his 
mind — of  Henry  and  Sam,  and  of  his  father  and 
the  other  dear  ones  left  behind.  Was  this  to  be  the 
end  of  all — this  drowning  in  the  grasp  of  a  hideously 
painted  Indian? 

Suddenly  came  an  awful  shock  which  threw  Dave 


286  MARCHING  ON    NIAGARA 

heels  over  head  in  the  swirling  waters.  In  their 
rapid  passage  down  the  stream,  the  Indian's  head 
had  struck  fairly  and  squarely  on  a  jagged  rock 
just  below  the  surface.  The  fearful  impact  of  the 
blow  had  crushed  in  the  warrior's  skull  like  an  egg- 
shell, and  instantly  his  hold  relaxed,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment more  the  body  passed  from  sight.  •  i 

The  shock  threw  Dave  on  another  rock,  rising  less 
than  a  foot  above  the  surface  of  the  stream.  Amid 
the  foam  and  spray  he  felt  the  edge  of  the  stone  and 
by  instinct  more  than  reason  he  clutched  at  it  wildly 
and  held  fast.  Then,  as  he  recovered  his  breath, 
he  drew  himself  up  until  his  head  and  his  back  were 
out  of  the  water.  His  feet  swung  around  with  the 
current  and  there  he  remained,  with  the  water  tug- 
ging strongly  to  drag  him  down  from  his  temporary 
place  of  safety. 

He  was  in  this  position  when  discovered  by  the 
sharp  eyes  of  Henry  and  Sam  Barringford,  and 
with  all  possible  speed  they  ran  down  to  the  bit  of 
shore  which  stuck  out  to  within  thirty  feet  of  Dave's 
resting  place. 

"Dave!  Dave!"  called  Henry.  "Are  you  all 
right?" 

"Henry!  Help  me!  I— I  can't  stand  th— this 
strain  much  longer,"  was  the  answer,  delivered  with 
a  jerk  and  a  gasp. 


FALL   OF   FORT    NIAGARA  287 

"  We'll  have  to  git  a  rope,"  came  from  Barring- 
ford.  He  raised  his  voice.  "  Hold  tight,  Dave,  and 
we'll  save  you !  " 

He  was  off  on  the  run  then  and  Henry  heard  him 
crashing  along  the  trail  of  the  portage.  Dave  could 
hear  but  little  save  the  pounding  and  rushing  of  the 
river  torrent  on  all  sides.  He  looked  toward  his 
cousin  through  the  flying  spray  and  the  appeal  went 
straight  to  Henry's  heart. 

The  young  soldier  looked  around.  Not  far  away 
grew  a  number  of  saplings.  He  leaped  toward  the 
nearest,  and  with  his  hunting  knife  commenced  to 
hack  it  down.  The  task  was  almost  completed  when 
Barringford  reappeared. 

"  Thought  I  knowed  whar  I  could  git  a  rope," 
said  the  backwoodsman,  as  he  held  up  the  article. 
"  Seen  a  dead  Frencher  with  it  a  spell  back.  Going 
to  git  a  tree,  eh?  Perhaps  we'll  need  thet  too. 
Let's  try  the  rope  fust." 

He  made  a  noose,  and  flung  it  forth  with  care. 
It  slid  close  to  where  Dave  lay,  but  the  youth  failed 
to  grasp  it.  Then  the  rope  was  flung  a  second  and 
a  third  time. 

At  last  Dave  caught  the  noose,  and  managed,  al- 
though not  without  great  difficulty,  to  slide  it  up  his 
left  arm  above  the  elbow.  This  would  leave  his 
hands  free  to  battle  with  any  obstruction  which 


288  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

might  threaten  him  in  the  dangerous  passage  from 
the  rock  to  the  shore. 

"  Are  you  ready  to  be  pulled  in  ?  "  queried  Bar- 
ringford. 

"  Yes,  but  be  careful.  There's  a  sharp  rock  just 
below  this  point.  I  just  caught  sight  of  it,"  an- 
swered Dave. 

"  We'll  pull  you  up  stream — if  we  can,"  answered 
the  backwoodsman. 

In  another  moment  Dave  was  again  in  the  mad 
current.  Planting  their  feet  firmly  between  cracks 
in  the  rocks  on  shore,  Henry  and  Barringford  pulled 
in  as  quickly  as  possible. 

As  all  had  supposed,  the  current  swung  Dave 
down  the  stream  and  then  flung  him  up  along  the 
rocks  lining  the  bank.  Still  holding  the  rope  Bar- 
ringford told  Henry  to  run  down  and  help  his 
cousin  out  of  the  water,  and  this  the  young  soldier 
did. 

Poor  Dave  was  more  dead  than  alive,  and  for  a 
good  half  hour  felt  too  weak  to  move  from  the  river 
bank.  While  he  was  resting,  with  the  others  beside 
him,  a  small  detachment  of  the  English  grenadiers 
came  up. 

'  The  battle  is  over,"  said  one  of  them,  in  answer 
to  Barringford's  question  on  that  point.  "  We've 


FALL   OF   FORT    NIAGARA  289 

whipped  'em  finely,  and  it's  doubtful  if  they  ever 
come  back  to  try  it  over  again." 

''If  that's  the  fact,  then  it  means  the  fall  of  Fort 
Niagara,"  put  in  Henry.  "  The  commander  there 
has  undoubtedly  been  waiting  for  reinforcements." 

"  Well,  we're  here  to  make  the  fort  surrender," 
answered  the  soldier  from  England. 

The  soldiers  had  some  rations  with  them,  includ- 
ing some  coffee,  and  after  Barringford  had  started  a 
fire  whereat  Dave  might  dry  himself,  the  youth  was 
given  something  hot  to  drink,  which  did  much  to 
revive  him. 

What  Henry  had  said  about  the  fall  of  the  fort 
was  true.  That  very  evening  General  Johnson  sent 
a  Major  Harvey  to  the  commander  of  the  fort,  with 
news  of  the  defeat  at  the  falls  and  stating  that  the 
fort  had  better  surrender  at  once,  otherwise  the  In- 
dians friendly  to  the  English  might  take  it  into 
their  heads  to  massacre  all  the  French  prisoners. 

At  first  Captain  Pouchot  could  not  believe  that 
the  disaster  to  the  French  cause  had  been  so  great, 
and  to  convince  him  he  was  allowed  to  send  an  aide 
into  the  British  camp.  The  aide  reported  that  the 
contest  was  indeed  lost,  and  thereupon,  early  on  the 
following  morning,  Fort  Niagara  surrendered,  and 
six  hundred  and  eighteen  officers  and  men  became 


29O  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

English  prisoners.  Later  on,  the  majority  of  the 
prisoners  were  sent  to  England  while  the  women  and 
the  children  who  had  been  driven  to  the  fort  for 
protection  were,  at  their  own  request,  allowed  to  de- 
part for  Montreal. 

The  fall  of  Fort  Niagara  accomplished  all  that 
the  English  government  and  the  colonists  had  hoped 
for.  It  broke  the  chain  of  defenses  the  French  had 
established  between  the  lakes  and  the  lower  Missis- 
sippi, and  closely  following  this  disaster  the  enemy 
were  compelled  to  vacate  Venango,  Presqu'ile,  La 
Boeuf,  and  other  points,  including  the  trading  posts 
on  the  Ohio  and  the  Kinotah.  They  retired  to 
Detroit,  and  to  the  upper  bank  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
and  the  English  and  colonists  quickly  took  posses- 
sion of  the  places  vacated. 

It  was  not  deemed  necessary  that  Dave  and  his 
friends  return  to  the  vicinity  of  the  fort  the  next 
day,  and  they  and  a  party  of  rangers  numbering 
eighteen  encamped  along  the  bank  of  the  Niagara. 
Two  of  the  rangers  were  suffering  from  wounds  in 
the  shoulders,  and  they  and  Dave  were  made  as 
comfortable  as  possible,  so  that  by  the  next  night 
the  young  soldier  felt  once  more  like  himself. 

"  But  I  never  want  to  tumble  into  that  river 
again,"  he  said  to  Henry  with  a  shudder.  "  I  felt 
as  if  every  minute  was  going  to  be  my  last." 


FALL   OF   FORT   NIAGARA  291 

"  Yes,  you  were  lucky  though,"  answered  his 
cousin.  "  Think  of  what  that  redskin  got.  It  might 
have  been  your  head  instead  of  his." 

"  I've  seen  that  Indian  before,  Henry.  I  can't  tell 
where,  exactly,  but  I  think  it  was  out  at  father's 
trading  post." 

"  That's  not  unlikely.  I  suppose  all  those  rascally 
French  Indians  came  on  with  the  French  soldiers 
and  traders  to  wipe  us  out.  Well,  they  got  what 
they  least  expected." 

While  the  majority  of  the  rangers  were  resting 
several  of  the  number  went  off  in  search  of  game, 
for  provisions  were  now  running  low.  The  most 
of  the  birds  and  wild  animals  had  been  scared  away 
by  the  noise  of  battle,  and  the  hunters  had  to  beat 
about  for  several  miles  before  they  found  what  they 
wanted. 

On  the  return  to  the  camp  beside  the  river 
they  heard  a  man  calling  feebly  in  French, 
and  moving  toward  the  sound,  discovered  a 
French  trader  lying  in  some  brushwood,  covered 
with  blood  and  dirt,  the  picture  of  weakness  and 
despair.  The  trader  had  been  shot  in  the  leg 
and  could  not  walk  and  was  suffering  for  the 
want  of  food  and  water  as  well  as  attention  to  his 
wound. 

"  For  ze  love  of  heaven,  do  not  leave  me  here/* 


MARCHING    ON    NIAGARA 

he  begged,  piteously.  "  Help  me,  kind  sirs,  and  I 
vill  revard  you  veil." 

The  trader  was  evidently  a  rough  sort  of  a  man, 
yet  the  rangers  took  pity  on  him,  even  though  he 
did  belong  to  the  ranks  of  the  enemy.  Food  and 
drink  were  furnished,  and  the  wound  washed  and 
bound  up,  and  then  the  rangers  carried  the  prisoner 
with  them  to  the  camp. 

Dave  and  Barringford  saw  the  rangers  returning, 
and  at  the  sight  of  the  prisoner  Barringford  leaped 
to  his  feet  in  high  excitement. 

"  Jean  Bevoir !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Jean  Bevoir, 
jest  as  sure  as  fate !  " 

"  Bevoir !  "  ejaculated  Dave. 

"Bevoir?"  repeated  Henry,  who  stood  near. 
"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  fellow  is  Bevoir  ?  " 

"  It  is !  "  answered  Barringford.  "  He's  wounded, 
too." 

Without  waiting  to  hear  more,  Henry,  followed 
by  Dave,  ran  forward  to  where  the  prisoner  had 
been  placed  on  a  moss-grown  bank. 

"  You  are  Jean  Bevoir,"  he  began,  sternly. 

"  Ah !  you  know  me,  eh  ?  "  returned  the  French 
trader.  "  I  do  not  seem  to  know  you  ?  "  and  a  puz- 
zled look  crossed  his  face. 

"  Then  I'll  tell  you  who  I  am !  "  roared  Henry, 
clenching  his  fists.  "  I  am  Henry  Morris,  of  Will's 


FALL   OF   FORT    NIAGARA  293 

Creek.  This  is  my  cousin  Dave  Morris.  You 
helped  to  steal  my  little  sister  Nell.  Where  is  she? 
Tell  me  this  minute!  " 

As  Henry  finished  he  advanced,  as  if  to  strike  the 
prisoner  down  where  he  sat.  Jean  Bevoir  grew  pale 
and  trembled  with  fear. 

"  No !  no !  do  not  heet  me !  "  he  cried.  "  I  no  do 
zat.  Eet  ees  von  mistake !  I  no  see  ze  gal !  I " 

"  Don't  talk  that  way  to  me !  "  interrupted  Henry, 
whose  blood  was  thoroughly  aroused.  "  You'll  tell 
me  where  she  is,  and  at  once,  or  I'll — I'll — "  he 
hesitated  and  looked  around,  and  then  caught  up  a 
gun  standing  near.  "  I'll  blow  your  head  off,  that's 
what  I'll  do!" 

It  is  doubtful  whether  Henry  would  have  carried 
out  his  threat,  but  his  manner  was  so  earnest  that 
for  once  Jean  Bevoir,  wounded  as  he  was,  was  well- 
nigh  scared  to  death.  He  put  up  his  hands  beseech- 
ingly. Then  he  looked  at  the  rangers  gathered 
around;  but  no  one  stepped  to  his  aid,  for  all  had 
heard  of  his  doings,  and  of  how  little  Nell  and  the 
Rose  twins  had  been  carried  off  into  captivity  by 
the  Indians  and  of  how  Bevoir  had  plotted  to  hold 
them  for  a  ransom.  Many  looked  at  him  as  little 
short  of  a  brigand,  or  pirate,  and  would  not  have 
been  sorry  had  his  miserable  existence  been  ended 
then  and  there. 


294  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  No !  no !  "  cried  the  trader  and  clasped  his  hands 
tremblingly  before  him.  "  No  shoot,  please  you!  " 

"  Then  tell  me  where  my  little  sister  is !  " 

"  I — I  know  not  zat — now.  I — I — the  Indians  da 
run  away,  an " 

Bevoir  broke  off  short.  The  gun  had  been  low- 
ered, but  now  it  was  once  more  brought  up  and  the 
muzzle  touched  his  forehead.  He  gave  a  yell  of 
terror  and  rolled  backward. 

"Stop!  No  shoot  me!  I  will  tell  you  all!"  he 
screamed.  "  No  shoot !  De  gal  she  in  von  cave  up 
de  river,  near  de  falls.  Da  Indians  bring  her  dare. 
No  shoot!  I  show  da  place.  No  shoot!  " 

"  In  a  cave  near  the  falls?  "  queried  Henry. 

"  Yees,  yees !  Not  far  from  here.  She  dare  now, 
if  not  runned  avay.  I  show,  you  no  shoot  me !  " 

"  Then  show  the  way,"  commanded  Henry. 
"  And  remember,  if  you  are  telling  a  lie,  it  will  go 
hard  with  you." 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

LITTLE    NELL — CONCLUSION 

JEAN  BEVOIR  was  now  thoroughly  cowed,  and 
once  having  exposed  himself  he  did  all  in  his  power 
to  curry  favor  with  those  he  had  so  deeply  wronged, 
in  the  hope  that  they  would  relent  in  their  treatment 
of  him  and  perhaps  grant  him  his  ultimate  liberty. 
But  neither  Henry  nor  the  others  would  make  him 
any  promises,  for  nobody  had  any  intention  of  let- 
ting him  go  free. 

"  He  deserves  to  become  a  prisoner,"  said  Dave. 
"  And  he  ought  to  be  put  in  solitary  confinement 
and  on  bread  and  water." 

"Right  ye  are,  lad,"  said  Barringford.  "He's 
wuss  nor  a  snake  in  the  grass.  I  don't  wonder 
Henry  felt  like  pepperin'  him  on  the  spot." 

It  was  well  along  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon 
and  the  rangers  who  had  been  out  on  the  hunt  were 
thoroughly  tired,  yet  it  was  arranged  that  those  who 
had  remained  in  camp  should  move  to  the  cave  near 
the  falls  without  delay,  after  getting  minute  direc- 
ts 


296  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

tions  from  Jean  Bevoir,  so  that  there  should  be  no 
chance  of  making  a  mistake  in  the  route.  A  strict 
guard  was  ordered  over  the  trader  and  he  was  given 
to  understand  that  if  anything  went  wrong  with 
those  who  set  out  on  the  search  for  little  Nell  and  the 
others  the  blame  would  fall  upon  him. 

It  must  be  said  that  the  hearts  of  both  Henry  and 
Dave  beat  rapidly  as  they  pushed  along  the  trail 
leading  towards  the  falls.  Henry,  as  we  know,  loved 
his  little  sister  dearly,  and  Dave's  affection  for  his 
little  cousin  was  scarcely  less  strong.  Throughout 
the  whole  campaign  there  had  not  been  a  day  when 
they  had  not  thought  of  her  and  of  what  she  must 
be  suffering. 

Barringford  led  the  advance,  having  questioned 
Bevoir  so  closely  that  he  said  he  felt  he  could  find 
the  cave  in  the  dark.  As  the  party  moved  on,  all 
kept  their  eyes  and  ears  wide  open  for  a  possible 
surprise  by  the  enemy. 

But  as  we  already  know,  French  and  Indians  had 
fled  in  the  direction  of  their  boats  beyond  the  upper 
rapids,  and  the  only  persons  met  with  were  half  a 
dozen  braves  under  White  Buffalo,  who  were  out 
doing  spy  duty  for  General  Johnson. 

"  Heap  glad  to  see  Dave  well,"  said  White  Buf- 
falo, when  they  met.  "  Hear  Dave  go  into  rushing 
waters.  Glad  Dave  get  out" 


LITTLE   NELL — CONCLUSION  297 

"So  am  I  glad,  White  Buffalo.  And  how  did 
you  make  out  in  the  battle  ?  " 

"  For  answer  the  chief  pointed  to  his  girdle,  at 
which  hung  two  freshly  taken  Indian  scalps.  Then 
he  pointed  to  the  girdles  of  his  followers,  all  simi- 
larly adorned.  Dave  nodded  to  show  that  he  under- 
stood. 

In  these  days  such  a  showing  would  make  one 
shiver,  but  in  colonial  times  the  taking  of  scalps  by 
the  Indians  was  such  a  common  occurrence  that  it 
occasioned  little  or  no  comment,  especially  when 
practiced  on  an  enemy  of  the  same  color.  A  few  of 
the  French  soldiers  had  been  scalped,  but  not 
many,  since  General  Johnson  had  given  strict 
orders  that  no  mutilation  of  the  whites  would  be 
allowed.  On  the  other  hand,  the  French  Indians 
engaged  in  the  battle  had  committed  all  the  atroci- 
ties possible  before  retreating  to  the  upper  river  and 
the  woods. 

Learning  what  was  taking  place,  White  Buffalo 
asked  the  privilege  of  joining  the  party  with  one  of 
his  braves,  and  this  was  readily  granted.  On  they 
went  again,  through  the  thick  undergrowth  and 
around  the  rough  rocks,  for  in  those  days  where 
the  town  of  Niagara  Falls  now  stands  was  little  short 
of  a  complete  wilderness. 

At  length  White  Buffalo  called  a  halt  and  pointed 


298  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

to  the  ground.  Barringford  had  been  watching  the 
trail  intently. 

"  Fresh  footprints,  eh,  White  Buffalo?  "  queried 
the  frontiersman. 

"  Indians  close  by,"  answered  the  chief,  gravely. 
"  No  friends  to  the  English." 

"  Then  we'll  go  slow." 

The  Indian  grunted,  and  the  word  was  passed  for 
every  soldier  to  be  on  his  guard.  Barringford  now 
calculated  that  they  were  less  than  quarter  of  a 
mile  away  from  where  Jean  Bevoir  had  said  the  cave 
was  situated. 

Suddenly  a  shot  rang  out  and  this  was  followed 
by  the  whizzing  of  an  arrow  over  Barringford' s 
head.  One  of  the  rangers  had  been  struck  in  the 
shoulder,  although  the  wound  was  but  a  trifle. 

"  This  way,"  shouted  Barringford,  who  had  been 
chosen  as  the  leader,  and  all  followed  him  to  a 
thicket.  In  another  moment  they  had  caught  sight 
of  several  Indians  and  two  French  traders  hurrying 
along  a  trail  leading  to  the  river  bank  above  the 
falls. 

"Look!  look!"  cried  Dave,  suddenly.  "There 
is  little  Nell  now !  An  Indian  has  her  in  his  arms !  " 

He  was  right,  and  soon  they  saw  two  other  In- 
dians who  were  carrying  the  Rose  twins.  The 


LITTLE   NELL — CONCLUSION  299 

dusky  trio  appeared  but  for  a  moment,  then  slipped 
out  of  sight  in  the  timber. 

With  a  yell  to  the  others  to  follow,  Dave  darted 
after  the  redman  who  held  little  Nell,  and  Henry, 
Barringford  and  White  Buffalo  came  close  behind 
him.  On  they  went  through  thickets  which  almost 
tore  the  clothing  from  their  bodies  and  over  rough 
rocks.  The  Indians  seemed  to  know  the  way  and 
kept  a  good  distance  ahead  despite  their  burdens. 

But  now  those  in  front  had  to  cross  a  little  open- 
ing, and  while  doing  this  Barringford  and  White 
Buffalo  fired  on  them,  bringing  two  of  the  number 
down.  They  were  the  Indians  holding  the  Rose 
twins  and  in  a  few  minutes  more  the  twins,  who 
were  sobbing  in  fright,  were  safe  in  the  rangers'  care. 

The  Indian  holding  little  Nell  now  bounded  on 
with  increased  speed,  making  directly  for  the  bluff 
overlooking  the  mighty  falls.  He  knew  of  the  open- 
ing under  the  falls  and  hoped  by  some  chance  to 
throw  his  pursuers  off  the  scent  and  gain  this  hiding- 
place. 

But  those  in  pursuit  were  too  clever  for  him,  and 
in  perplexity  he  turned,  like  a  hunted  hare,  and 
started  out  on  the  bluff.  Then,  as  he  came  again 
into  the  open,  he  swung  little  Nell  to  his  back  and 
held  her  there. 


3OO  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

"  He  is  making  for  the  falls !  "  screamed  Henry. 

"  What!  do  you  think  he  means  to  jump  over?  " 
questioned  Dave,  in  fresh  horror. 

"  It  looks  like  it.  I  reckon  he's  afraid  if  he's  cap- 
tured that  we'll  torture  him." 

This  was  probably  the  truth,  and  having  glanced 
back  once,  to  see  if  they  were  still  pursuing  him, 
the  Indian  kept  on,  until  he  was  less  than  fifty  feet 
away  from  the  brink  of  the  cataract. 

"Oh,  Dave — shall  we — we  shoot?"  faltered 
Henry. 

"  We  must !  "  was  the  quick  answer.  "  It's  our 
one  chance  to  save  Nell !  " 

Up  came  his  gun,  and  up  also  came  the  weapons 
of  Henry  and  several  others  of  the  party.  Four  re- 
ports rang  out  almost  as  one.  The  Indian  stag- 
gered a  dozen  steps  and  pitched  headlong,  carrying 
little  Nell  down  with  him.  Both  lay  perfectly  still 
close  to  the  brink  of  the  cataract. 

For  the  moment  neither  Henry  nor  Dave  dared  to 
go  forward.  Supposing  one  of  those  four  bullets 
had  found  little  Nell's  body  instead  of  that  of  the 
Indian? 

It  was  Barringford  who  advanced,  with  several  of 
the  rangers.  A  glance  showed  him  that  the  Indian 
was  dead,  with  two  bullets  through  the  lower  por- 
tion of  his  back.  Little  Nell  lay  beside  the  fallen 


LITTLE   NELL — CONCLUSION  3OI 

Indian,  unconscious  and  with  the  blood  flowing  from 
a  scratch  on  her  right  lower  limb.  She  was  only 
stunned  by  the  shock  and  as  Barringford  picked  her 
up  she  opened  her  eyes  wildly. 

"  Let  me  go!  Please  let  me  go!  "  she  screamed, 
and  then,  on  catching  sight  of  her  preserver,  stared 
in  astonishment.  "  Oh,  Mr.  Barringford,  is  it  really 
you  ?  Oh,  I'm  so  glad !  Save  me  from  the  naughty 
Indian." 

"  The  Injun  is  dead,  Nell,"  he  answered,  and  then 
as  Henry  and  Dave  rushed  up,  he  added,  "  You  are 
safe  enough  now." 

Henry  caught  his  little  sister  in  his  arms  and  both 
hugged  each  other  tightly.  The  young  soldier  was 
too  overcome  to  say  a  word,  nor  could  Dave  speak 
as  he  embraced  his  cousin.  It  was  truly  a  happy 
moment. 

In  a  little  while  the  other  rangers  came  up  with 
the  Rose  twins,  who  were  as  delighted  as  little  Nell 
to  find  themselves  among  friends  once  more.  In 
the  mean  time  the  other  unfriendly  Indians  and  the 
French  traders  disappeared,  and  although  White 
Buffalo  and  some  of  the  rangers  went  after  them, 
they  could  not  be  captured. 

That  evening,  seated  around  a  generous  camp- 
fire,  and  after  the  best  supper  they  had  enjoyed  for 
many  a  day,  little  Nell  and  her  companions  told  the 


3O2  MARCHING  ON   NIAGARA 

tale  of  their  captivity, — how  the  Indians  had  at  first 
carried  them  off,  how  they  had  been  moved  from 
one  spot  to  another,  and  of  how  Jean  Bevoir  had 
finally  taken  charge  of  them.  The  little  girls  were 
too  young  to  understand  how  the  rascally  trader  had 
hoped  to  make  money  by  having  them  ransomed, 
but  the  boys  and  the  other  soldiers  understood,  and 
they  made  up  their  minds  that  Bevoir  should  not  es- 
cape them  and  that  the  whole  matter  should  be  laid 
before  the  proper  authorities  at  the  earliest  possible 
date. 

"  But  I  am  so  glad  to  be  with  you  again !  "  mur- 
mured little  Nell,  as  she  nestled  down  between  Henry 
and  Dave.  "  I  hope  the  bad  Indians  never  carry  me 
off  again ! " 

"  They  shall  never  do  it  if  I  can  help  it,"  answered 
Henry;  and  Dave  echoed  the  sentiment. 

Let  me  add  a  few  words  more  and  then  bring  to 
a  close  this  story  of  two  young  soldiers'  adventures 
while  "  Marching  on  Niagara." 

On  the  day  following  the  rescue  of  little  Nell  and 
the  Rose  twins  all  our  friends  took  themselves  to 
Fort  Niagara,  which  was  now  occupied  by  French 
and  English  combined.  With  the  party  went  Jean 
Bevoir,  a  thoroughly  miserable  prisoner  of  war.  The 
trader  begged  hard  to  be  given  his  freedom  and 


LITTLE    NELL — CONCLUSION  303 

offered  all  sorts  of  inducements  to  those  having  him 
in  charge,  but  nobody  would  listen  to  him,  and  one 
ranger  threatened  to  thrash  him  if  he  ever  mentioned 
a  bribe  again.  At  the  fort  the  matter  was  laid  be- 
fore Sir  William  Johnson,  and  Bevoir  was  placed 
under  guard  in  the  military  hospital;  and  that  was 
the  last  seen  or  heard  from  him  for  some  time  to 
come. 

Little  Nell  was  very  anxious  to  get  back  home, 
to  see  her  father  and  mother,  as  well  as  Rodney  and 
her  Uncle  James,  and  it  was  finally  decided  that  she 
should  be  sent  back,  along  with  the  Rose  twins  and 
a  number  of  other  captives  who  had  turned  up.  The 
party  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  company  of  rangers 
including  Hans  Schnitzer,  who  in  the  siege  of  the 
fort  had  lost  an  ear,  and  of  Barringford,  who  had 
given  his  word  to  Joseph  Morris  that  if  he  found 
little  Nell  he  would  not  leave  her  out  of  his  sight 
until  the  miss  was  once  again  with  her  parents. 

"But  what  will  you  boys  do?"  questioned  the 
backwoodsman  of  Dave  and  Henry. 

"  We  have  decided  to  remain  in  the  army  and  see 
this  war  to  a  finish,"  said  Dave.  "  We've  got  the 
French  and  their  Indian  allies  on  the  run,  as  they 
call  it,  and  both  of  us  feel  that  it's  our  duty  to 
remain  at  the  front." 

"  That  feelin'  does  ye  both  credit,"  was  Barring- 


3O4  MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA 

ford's  answer.  "  Well,  I  reckon  you'll  git  fighting 
enough  before  you're  done.  If  it  keeps  on  very 
much  longer  I  allow  as  how  I'll  be  back  with  ye 
sooner  or  later."  What  Barringford  said  about 
getting  fighting  enough  was  true,  and  the  further 
adventures  of  our  young  friends  will  be  related  in 
another  volume,  to  be  entitled  "  At  the  Fall  of  Mon- 
treal; Or,  A  Soldier  Boy's  Final  Victory."  In  this 
volume  we  shall  meet  all  our  old  friends  again  and 
learn  what  they  did  toward  establishing  a  lasting 
victory  over  France  in  Canada. 

It  was  not  long  after  the  taking  of  Fort  Niagara 
that  the  boys  received  good  news  from  home.  Mat- 
ters were  going  well  with  all  those  left  behind,  and 
they  were  delighted  to  learn  that  little  Nell  was  safe 
and  would  soon  be  with  them.  Dave's  father  was 
likewise  delighted  to  learn  that  Jean  Bevoir  was  a 
prisoner  and  that  the  French  hold  on  the  Ohio  River 
and  its  tributaries  was  broken.  He  felt  certain  that 
the  French  traders  and  the  Indians  under  them  would 
never  regain  that  which  had  been  lost,  and  that  in 
another  season  at  the  latest  he  would  be  perfectly 
safe  in  re-establishing  his  trading  post  on  the  Kino- 
tah,  and  that  by  that  time  matters  would  be  in  proper 
shape  for  doing  more  trading  than  ever  before. 

"  I  hope  what  he  says  proves  true,"  said  Dave,  as 
he  and  Henry  read  the  letter  on  the  subject.  "  I 


LITTLE    NELL — CONCLUSION 

think  we  deserve  whatever  we  can  get  out  of  that 
trading-post,  seeing  how  hard  we  have  worked  to 
gain  possession  of  our  own." 

"  I  am  glad  matters  are  going  on  so  well  at  home," 
returned  Henry.  "  My,  but  won't  mother  be  glad 
to  see  Nell  again !  They'll  hug  each  other  to  death." 
And  he  wiped  something  like  a  tear  from  his  eye  as 
he  pictured  the  scene  in  his  mind. 

In  the  darkness  of  the  evening  Dave's  hand  stole 
into  that  of  his  cousin.  "  I  am  just  as  glad  over  it 
all  as  you,  Henry,"  he  said  softly.  And  then  after 
a  short  silence  he  added :  "  There  is  no  disputing 
it.  God  has  been  very  good  to  us;  don't  you 
think  so?" 

For  answer  Henry  gave  his  hand  a  tight  squeeze. 
"  We  can  be  thankful  we're  alive,  considering  what 
we've  gone  through  with.  War  is  no  holiday 
making." 

"  You're  right  it's  not.  But  I'm  glad  I'm  a  sol- 
dier anyway — and  I  mean  to  do  my  duty  to  the 
end,  no  matter  what  comes." 

A  few  minutes  later  both  lay  down  to  sleep,  the 
hand  of  one  resting  in  that  of  the  other;  and  here 
for  the  time  being  let  us  leave  them,  kind  reader, 
with  our  best  wishes. 


rlh  Vxlxl 


3  1158011255   13 


AIVI>IOWJA:>  10 

>.,!•»" -r  A  art.  f 


'I 

1379 


